News You Want To Know

Wang Jia Yun - A human or doll?

2011-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

Name: Wang Jia Yun ???
Date of Birth: Jun 18, 1993
Height: 164 cm
Weight: 42 kg
About: Wang Jia Yun, is a 17 years old life-size walking doll born in Kowloon, Hong Kong but now lives and studies in Shenzhen, China.

Only recently, Wang Jia Yun was a top searched keyword among the major search portals especially in South Korea. Most of her pictures were wildly circulated over the Internet where it reaches forums and sites across China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and she was instantly labeled as the live action blow-up doll.

Look at her photos below, so what do you think?

With large round eyes, sharp oval face, pointed chin, sexy body and thin long slender legs, it reminds me of one of the pretty Japanese anime or Final Fantasy game characters which is every guy’s fantasy! Now, where can we order one!?

While many claims that she is fake and used PhotoShop to create her barbie look. No matter what, Wang Jia Yun definitely has most of the Koreans going crazy trying to befriend her! And in her latest status message, she mentioned that she just wants a normal life and repays her parents by getting into college.

She never wanted to be popular public figure. Teachers have called her up after seeing her pictures online and she couldn’t describe how she is feeling at the moment. Maybe some of the pictures were photo-shopped but she doesn’t really deserve all the hate comments and remarks!

A Star In The Making

2010-11-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

So have you watched last night Singapore Star Search 2010?

AFTER a gruelling season of competition, Star Search 2010 is finally entering its semi-final round. We've watched as the search for Singapore's next big Chinese-language star progressed through several Asian countries, put its young contestants through nerve-wracking stage trials, and, most chillingly of all, made them rough it at a boot camp at Pulau Ubin. With not a hair dryer in sight.

Whether you're rooting for the oddly-named Romeo Tan, the exotic Sora Ma or the handsome James Seah, you won't want to miss finding out which of Top 20 will get to proceed to the Top 10 and compete at the grand finals on Dec 5, and which 10 will fall by the wayside. Sorry, people - that's showbiz for you.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/Entertainment/Television/EDC101112-0000052/A-star-in-the-making

Dawn (Yeoh) peeks over the horizon

2010-11-13T20:26:00.001-08:00

SINGAPORE : Where is Dawn Yeoh?

I mean we know where the other three missing Caldecott Princesses are - Fiona Xie is with her fabulously wealthy boyfriend, Jesseca Liu is busy running her family spa business, while Felicia Chin is hitting the books, though she still appears in commercials from time to time.

But whatever happened to Dawn "Hello Kitty" Yeoh, the youngest princess with the winsome smile?

The 24-year-old actress, who made her television acting debut as a blind girl in MediaCorp Mandarin drama "The Shining Star" in 2006, just sort of vanished after news of her contract issues made the headlines earlier this year. The 2009 drama "Daddy at Home" was her final MediaCorp project.

Yeoh was tight-lipped about it when I finally sat down with her for a chat on Monday.

She looked as though she really wanted to blurt out an explanation for her absence but kept it all in somehow.

"Even up till now you still don't get to see me on TV, at least not so soon. It's definitely got to do with my contract issues with my [previous] manager," she said hesitantly, fidgeting a little in her chair.

That is probably the reason why she said she was 'manager-free' at the moment and said she has no plans to get a new one.

Dawn of a new singing career?

Fortunately for Yeoh, the ominous clouds that surrounded her showbiz career seem to have parted somewhat and she has gotten back in the proverbial saddle with a few new projects.

"I have just completed a production with (actor-director) Huang Yi Liang, a movie (the comedy 'My Ghost Partner') ... It's now in its post production stage," gushed Yeoh, adding that it would probably hit the screens in March next year.

Apart from the movie, Yeoh had also recently worked on a few MediaCorp variety shows, but she stopped short of calling all this a comeback.

"I won't say it's really a comeback because so far all the variety shows I am in, I'm just a co-host or [making a] guest appearance. It's not so much my own production," said Yeoh.

"Meanwhile, I am still catching up with my skills like singing, dancing. I am actually focusing more on my singing."

Singing?

"I have been thinking of that for a long time," she said, pointing out that she loves to sing, just like close friend, actor Nat Ho, who cited his desire for a singing career as one of the reasons he left MediaCorp in June this year.

"For the new year, I definitely hope things will get better with my singing, hopefully, I can really come up with a demo soon and send it to most of the record labels."

Following your dreams is all well and good, but even Ho admitted that the loss of a stable income was quite unsettling when I spoke to him before his departure.

Paying the bills

Ho had since found a few side projects that kept him going, but how does Yeoh pay the bills?

"Apart from variety shows from MediaCorp, I have also been hosting some other events, mostly going for outdoor events, or guest appearances here and there," she said.

Yeoh is hardly a struggling artiste.

"In terms of money, it's still quite good. Actually not too bad!" said Yeoh, as she tried her best to suppress a shy giggle.

Indeed, I had seen her at quite a few events, such as the opening of singer JJ Lin's fashion store and the launch of a beauty product awhile back.

But when I asked if she was making a bomb from all her appearances, the sweet-looking actress immediately protested.

"No! No! I mean not really a bomb, but not too bad, not too bad," said Yeoh coyly.

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainmentfeatures/view/1092619/1/.html

Bronson

2009-09-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

In 1974, a misguided 19-year-old named Michael Peterson decided he wanted to make a name for himself and so, with a homemade sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to 7 years in jail, Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. With an intelligent, provocative and stylized approach, "Bronson" (based on a true story) follows the metamorphosis of Mickey Peterson into Britain's most dangerous prisoner, Charles Bronson.

An Education

2009-09-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's 1961 and attractive, bright 16-year-old schoolgirl, Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is poised on the brink of womanhood, dreaming of a rarefied, Gauloise-scented existence as she sings along to Juliette Greco in her Twickenham bedroom. Stifled by the tedium of adolescent routine, Jenny can't wait for adult life to begin. Meanwhile, she's a diligent student, excelling in every subject except the Latin that her father is convinced will land her the place she dreams of at Oxford University.

One rainy day, her suburban life is upended by the arrival of an unsuitable suitor, 30-ish David (Peter Sarsgaard). Urbane and witty, David instantly unseats Jenny's stammering schoolboy admirer, Graham (Matthew Beard). To her frank amazement, he even manages to charm her conservative parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour), and effortlessly overcomes any instinctive objections to their daughter's older, Jewish suitor.

Very quickly, David introduces Jenny to a glittering new world of classical concerts and late-night suppers with his attractive friend and business partner, Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Danny's girlfriend, the beautiful but vacuous Helen (Rosamund Pike). David replaces Jenny's traditional education with his own version, picking her up from school in his Bristol roadster and whisking her off to art auctions and smoky clubs.

Under the pretext of an introduction to C.S. Lewis, David arranges to take Jenny on a weekend jaunt to Oxford with Danny and Helen. Later, using an ingenious mixture of flattery and fibbery, he persuades her parents to allow him to take their only daughter to Paris for her 17th birthday. David suggests that his "Aunt Helen" will once again act as a chaperone. Jack and Marjorie do not know that Jenny has chosen the date and place to lose her virginity.

Paris is all that Jenny imagined it would be, sex with David somewhat less so. On her return to Twickenham, Jenny's school friends are thrilled with her newfound sophistication but her headmistress (Emma Thompson) is scandalised and her English teacher Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams) is deeply disappointed that her prize pupil seems determined to throw away her evident gifts and certain chance of higher education.

Just as the family's long-held dream of getting their brilliant daughter into Oxford seems within reach, Jenny is tempted by another kind of life. Will David be the making of Jenny or her undoing?

Zombieland

2009-09-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

In the horror-comedy, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin co-star.

Whip It

2009-09-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

"Whip It," the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore, stars Ellen Page ("Juno") as Bliss, a rebellious Texas teen who throws in her small town beauty pageant crown for the rowdy world of roller derby. Marcia Gay Harden ("Mystic River," "Pollock") plays Bliss' disapproving mother, while Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live") and Juliette Lewis ("Old School") play roller-derby stars. Also starring Eve, Jimmy Fallon, and Daniel Stern.

Toy Story 2 3D

2009-09-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Moviegoers are in for twice the fun and triple the thrills as The Walt Disney Studios prepares to debut the Disney Digital 3D(TM) versions of Disney-Pixar's beloved animated features - "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" - during a special limited engagement starting on October 2, 2009, it was announced today by Mark Zoradi, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group.

This extraordinary double feature, taking the latest advances in digital 3D technology "to infinity and beyond," will play exclusively in 3D. "Toy Story," the industry's first ever computer-animated feature and the first feature released by Pixar Animation Studios in 1995, and "Toy Story 2," the critically acclaimed sequel that debuted in 1999, were both directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker John Lasseter. Both films have been meticulously re-rendered in 3D from the original digital files using the latest state-of-the-art technology.

Palm shares volatile as late traders assess sales, forecasts

2009-09-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Palm Inc. shares slid in heavy, volatile after-hours trading Thursday as investors weighed a big gain in smart phones in the most recent quarter against a lower-than-expected sales forecast for the current period.

After ending lower at $14.44 in the regular session, Palm /quotes/comstock/15*!palm/quotes/nls/palm (PALM 14.14, -0.30, -2.08%) shares shot up more than 9% before giving up their gains. They recently traded 2.7% lower.

Texas Instruments Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!txn/quotes/nls/txn (TXN 23.67, +0.07, +0.30%) shares edged 0.4% higher in moderate after-hours volume after the mobile chip maker said it was raising its quarterly dividend by a penny, or 9.1%, to 12 cents a share.

Arena Pharmaceuticals /quotes/comstock/15*!arna/quotes/nls/arna (ARNA 6.57, +1.66, +33.81%) shares surged 33% to $6.52 after the company said it plans to discuss results from the second of two clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of its weight-management treatment, lorcaserin, before the start of trading Friday.

Huntington Bancshares /quotes/comstock/15*!hban/quotes/nls/hban (HBAN 4.39, -0.12, -2.66%) fell 2% in moderate volume after the regional bank said it had started a public offering of $350 million of its common shares.

Palm results

Palm said smart-phone shipments totaled 823,000 for its fiscal first quarter ended Aug. 28, more than double levels in the May period. Palm did not break out the unit sales for the Pre phone. Read more on Palm.

For the current quarter, Palm said it expects non-GAAP revenue of $240 million to $270 million -- sharply lower than the $344.4 million expected by analysts. The company cited "timing and scale of expected product launches," as well "lower anticipated demand for legacy products."

In the first quarter, Palm said its loss widened to $161.1 million, or $1.17 a share. Excluding charges related to stock options and other items, the company said its net loss would have been $13.6 million, or 10 cents a share, for the recent period.

Analysts were expecting a net loss of 24 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters.

U.S. stocks ended the regular session lower. The Nasdaq Composite Index /quotes/comstock/10y!i:comp (COMP 2,127, -6.40, -0.30%) lost 0.3% to 2,127, the S&P 500 Index /quotes/comstock/21z!i1:in\x (SPX 1,065, -3.27, -0.31%) sank 0.3% to 1,065 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average /quotes/comstock/10w!i:dji/delayed (INDU 9,784, -7.49, -0.08%) slid 0.1% to 9,784.

Yale Student Strangled

2009-09-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

According to the latest reports, Yale graduate student Annie M. Le was strangled before her murder. The body of Annie M. Le was discovered from a wall of the university building on Sunday.

According to the New Haven police, on early Thursday morning a lab technician was arrested as a suspect in the murder of a Yale graduate student Annie M. Le. The name of the lab technician arrested was Raymond Clark III and he is 24 year of age. Raymond Clark III was arrested from Super 8 motel in Cromwell, Conn.. According to reports, he was taken into custody after he was found linked with the murder of Annie M. Le by DNA evidence. At $3 million, a bail was set. New Haven police’s Chief James Lewis said,

“It is important to note that this is not about urban crime, university crime, domestic crime but an issue of workplace violence, which is becoming a growing concern around the country “

Raymond Clark III was described as the person of interest by the police. On Wednesday, a law enforcement official said that Clark had scratch marks on his arms and chest as well. The marks and bruises on the body of Raymond Clark III raised the suspicions of his involvement in the murder of 24-year-old Annie M. Le. Both Annie M. Le and Richard Clark III worked in the same building.

A statement was released by the president of Yale Richard C.
Levin, that said:

“This incident could have happened in any city, in any university, or in any workplace,” He also said. “It says more about the dark side of the human soul than it does about the extent of security measures.”

The relation between the two co-workers is not clear yet.

Lucia Zarate

2009-09-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Lucia Zarate stands as the most well-known small person in the annals of littleness. Not since the reign of the Sicilian Fairy, Caroline Crachami, in the 1820’s had there been anyone exhibited so tiny and yet so well-proportioned.

Lucia’s early childhood is shrouded in mystery. Some say she was born in San Carlos in Northern Mexico. Others, that she hailed from Vera Cruz, which is along the Gulf of Mexico.

As was the custom with showmen who exhibited midgets, she was promoted as being older than her years – in her case twelve. Hence, to this day, many biographers believe she was born in 1864. However, she was consistently said to be a year older than her exhibition companion, General Mite, who we know was born in 1872. Thus I believe she was actually born closer to 1870 making her only about 6 yrs old at the start of her brief thirteen-year career.

Master Franky Flynn became quite a success. In the space of two short years he reportedly earned $20,00 USD – a huge sum of money.

In 1879, a rumour was started in the press that Francis was to marry the Mexican Lilliput Lucia Zarate, a rumour no doubt started by Lucia’s manager Frank Uffner. Lucia had appeared at the Centennial celebration also and consequent upon the success of Francis, who was now known as “General Mite”, Mr. Uffner saw an opportunity to create a huge draw but the “nuptials” never took place.

In 1880, however, General Mite and Lucia Zarate did travel to the United Kingdom appearing together as the “American Midgets” and are even documented by Windsor Castle as having met Her Majesty, Queen Victoria the following year. In fact, a marriage did take place for the General – but the betrothed was not Lucia.

The Mexican dwarf Lucia Zarate was unquestionably one of the tiniest women who ever lived. Born in 1864, her promoters claimed she was only 17 inches tall and weighed a mere five pounds. In other words, she was approximately the size of a small house cat. Many people didn’t believe she was real, until she started to sing and dance before their eyes.

Said to have been intelligent and charming, Lucia exhibited herself for several years and amassed quite an impressive fortune as one of the best paid performers of her day. Unfortunately, Lucia died on tour in 1890 when the train in which she was traveling became stalled in a mountain snowstorm. Zarate is said to have died of exposure. Another account claims she died of ‘gastric fever’, but no matter what the cause death came early for Lucia Zarate.

My desire to communicate Zarate’s scale led me to place her within this composition borrowed from Goya’s portrait of Don Manuel Osorio de Zuiga. My own cats served as the models for the potentially dangerous felines behind the little lady.

We seem to have quite a range of differently sized humans. From Giants to Midgets. I recently learned of Lucia’s existance and was quite astounded at her proportions, I thought I would share the story.

Lucia Zarate was the smallest woman ever recorded. At her birth in 1864 in Mexico, she weighed only eight ounces and was seven inches long. By adulthood she was less than 50 cm tall and weighed less than 2.26 kg, less than a cat.

Unlike dwarves, she was normal in every other way, and was described as bright and animated company. She first came to the US at twelve years old and was one of the highest-paid midgets of all time. She made twenty dollars an hour.

Lucia Zarate looked like a doll and weighed less than most house cats. Born in San Carlos, Mexico in 1864, Zarate is considered the lightest person who ever lived. At maturity, the perfectly formed, doll-like woman stood less than 20 inches tall and weighed about five pounds. Billed as the Mexican Lilliputian, Lucia first appeared on tour in the United States at age 12. Her pay reputedly rose to $20 per hour–a fantastic figure in the 1870s. Unfortunately her career ended in tragedy. Zarate was travelling by train through the Rocky Mountains in 1890. The train stalled during a snowstorm and the fragile Zarate died of exposure.

Susan Boyle Wild Horses video

2009-09-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Boyle shot to fame five months ago after her debut on Britain’s Got Talent and instantly became a worldwide tabloid fixture. In a video presentation before her performance, Boyle admitted to the difficulties with fame she experienced. “With no pressure, and then having all this pressure on top of it, I found a bit suffocating,” Boyle said in the video.

After Boyle lost the finale, she entered a hospital for exhaustion.

"I don't remember much about it after the finale," Boyle explained. "All I remember is being put in an ambulance and being taken to a clinic. I've never felt so tired. I look back at it now. It was a necessity because I was tired. I don't know what was wrong me with, though."

Boyle triumphantly returned to the US with her performance of the Rolling Stones’ Wild Horses on America’s Got Talent. Her debut record, I Dreamed a Dream debuts November 24. The international superstar has no plans on drifting away from the public spotlight anytime soon, this time, Boyle is back to stay.

"I used to be a kind of spectator looking out at the world, but now I'm part of that world," Boyle said. "And although frightening, I'm going to embrace it, because I feel a bit more confident within myself, more able to cope, more able to take part in the dream."

Santa Barbara museum to tell story of perfectly preserved Lady Dai

2009-09-17T16:24:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES — Lady Dai was a Chinese nobleman's wife in her mid-50s when she died of a heart attack. She was overweight, had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, gallstones and her arteries were almost totally clogged.

She didn't live the healthiest life but she left behind one of the most perfectly preserved bodies in history. She was buried about 2,100 years ago. Her tomb was found in the early 1970s on Mawangdui, a hill in Changsha, near the capital of Hunan Province in China. More than 1,400 equally well-preserved artifacts found around her were designed to help her in the afterlife.

"The Han Dynasty is the foundation of Chinese culture," Susan Tai, Curator of Asian Art for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, said. "We are looking at a tomb in Southern China from a very important cultural region that contributed some of the greatest literature and mythology and art to China."

The museum will host "Noble Tombs at Mawangdui" from Sept. 19 to Dec. 13. The exhibition of Lady Dai artifacts from the Hunan Provincial Museum stopped in New York earlier this year, then headed to Santa Barbara, about 145 kilometres west of Los Angeles.

There are 68 items in the collection. Ninety per cent of those came from Lady Dai's tomb because it was in such good condition.

Mawangdui was actually home to three tombs. Lady Dai's husband, Li Cang, was the prime minister of Changsha. He died in 186 BC, 20 some years before his wife died.

"His tomb was looted repeatedly in antiquity. There were no remains. All the treasures were gone. However, several coin-sized seals were found in the pit. They identified the tomb to be Li's. They also helped identity his wife's tomb," Tai said.

The third grave, tucked slightly under Lady Dai's, is believed to be that of one of the couple's two sons, although some believe it was Li's brother. The man apparently died in his 30s. There were skeletal remains and many artifacts in his tomb, including a library of 50 books written on silk and bamboo slips.

The volumes focused on the military and medicine, including sexual health. The items show women loved beauty and men attached importance to martial arts.

When Lady Dai's tomb was first opened, there were gasps because there was no decay, Tai said. Oxygen took an immediate toll, but even today, her body is well preserved at the Hunan Provincial Museum.

Modern day scientists are still working on ways to preserve bodies as well as Lady Dai's, but they've found several reasons why it remained in such good shape. Her family wrapped her in 22 dresses of silk and hemp, bound her with nine silk ribbons and covered her face with a mask. All the clothes filled the coffin and it was perfectly sealed, keeping air out. There were inner and outer tombs, like nesting boxes.

Nearly 20 gallons of an unknown liquid were found inside the coffin. A thick layer of white pastelike soil was put on the floor and the tomb was nearly 50 feet below the surface. She was surrounded by massive amounts of food, wine, lacquered dinnerware and drinking vessels, 46 bolts of silk, more clothes, books, makeup and other symbols of wealth.

Lady Dai's tomb provides a glimpse of the opulent and elegant life she led. Lacquered vessels had replaced bronze as the favoured material for the elite.

"Han Dynasty texts say that a lacquered cup required the effort of 100 men to make and cost 10 times more than one made of bronze," Tai explained. Raw lacquer was toxic and could kill or deform those who worked with it if they were not careful.

Lady Dai's hair was thinning so she used a hairpiece and two combs to form a bun behind her head. One comb had wide teeth for untangling, while one had smaller teeth for scrubbing her scalp. Some of the vessels and combs will be part of the exhibit.

A T-shaped piece of silk with a painting of Lady Dai draped over her coffin is the earliest portraiture in Chinese painting, Tai said.

The original painting is one of four items too fragile to leave China, so life-size reproductions will be shown in Santa Barbara.

One part of the intricate painting shows Lady Dai dead, wrapped in cloth and surrounded by her descendants, food and drink. The centre of the painting shows her standing in profile and walking with a cane as if she is ascending into heaven.

Scholars are still debating what the painting at the top of the T means.

"Many believe it is her in afterlife," Tai said. "Her soul has evolved and integrated into the cosmos."

Mary Travers death: Peter, Paul and Mary singer dies of Leukemia (video)

2009-09-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Mary Travers death sent rippled throughout the music world.

Yesterday, 16 September 2009, Mary Allin Travers died in Danbury, CT of cancer at age 72. She was famous as the Mary of the popular 1960s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary.

View photos of Mary Travers performing in Peter, Paul and Mary

Along with Peter Yarrow and Noel "Paul" Stookey, she formed the group in 1961 to sing about social injustice. Breaking up in 1970, the group later reformed in 1978, singing about the conditions in South Africa among other things. Travers also recorded albums as a solo artist.

The Kentucky-born Travers is survived by her fourth husband, Ethan Robbins; two daughters, Erika Marshall and Alicia Travers; a sister, a half-brother John Travers; and two grandchildren.

On the Peter, Paul and Mary Web site, Peter Yarrow issued a statement.

Mary hid whatever pain or fear she might have felt from everyone, clearly so as not to be a burden. Her love for me and Noel Paul, and for Ethan, poured out with great dignity and without restraint. It was, as Mary always was, honest and completely authentic. That's the way she sang, too; honestly and with complete authenticity. I believe that, in the most profound of ways, Mary was incapable of lying, as a person, and as an artist. That took great courage, and Mary was always equal to the task.

In lieu of flowers, tomorrow a charity will be listed on that Web site for donations.

If you don't remember Peter, Paul and Mary or songs and lyrics like "Blowin' in the Wind," "If I Had a Hammer" or "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," perhaps you grew up with "Puff the Magic Dragon." Recorded in 1963 by Peter, Paul and Mary, the song was written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow. It was based on 1 poem Lipton had written while a student at Cornell. He, in turn, was inspired by an Ogden Nash poem, "Custard the Dragon." Yarrow was a friend of Lipton and also studied at Cornell. There have been rumors that the song contained drug references, but this has been refuted by Yarrow.

Serena's a whiner, Jordan was a winner

2009-09-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

So Serena thinks we saw her passion for tennis Saturday night.

I saw cowardice.

Update: Second apology

Serena Williams issued a second apology on Monday, 36 hours after her on-court tirade. 30 minutes later, Serena and sister Venus cruised to the U.S. Open doubles title, their 10th Grand Slam doubles crown.

I saw an oversized, underachieving loudmouth get smacked into reality by a just-out-of-retirement mom.

I saw the character flaw that prevents Serena Williams from taking her rightful place alongside Michael Jordan as one of the greatest champions of all time.

In an absolutely crazy, busy and fabulous sports weekend, two moments stood out: 1. Serena Williams' match-point meltdown in her U.S. Open semifinals clash with Kim Clijsters; 2. Michael Jordan's raw, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners Hall of Fame induction speech.

Serena and Jordan are both being crucified for their alleged classless behavior. Only one deserves it, the one who issued the gutless apology on Sunday.

"(Saturday) night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job," Williams said in a press release. "Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience."

Do you see the words "I'm sorry" in any of that? What you see is one last potshot at the line judge who had the audacity to follow the rules. You also don't see any recognition that Serena comprehends her threats to shove a ball down the throat of a woman half her size overshadowed the remarkable performance of her opponent.

But we've grown used to Serena belittling her competition.

Serena has been so emotionally coddled and crippled by her enablers, including irresponsible and irrational television commentator John McEnroe, that she mistakes embarrassing displays of poor sportsmanship as passion and competitive fire.

Someone get her a copy of Jordan's Hall of Fame speech.

Jordan's rambling and possibly cocktail-inspired acceptance rant has been misinterpreted by the media. We didn't like it. It wasn't gracious or spiced with false humility. Jordan declined the high road and traveled the bone honest one.

In graphic detail, he explained the slights — real, exaggerated and imagined — that fueled his competitive fire. He gave us a peek behind the curtain, a look at what drove the greatest competitor in our lifetime. I overlooked his missteps. He's a basketball player, not a motivational speaker. He spoke without a map. His words were not measured or chosen to create the impression he was anything beyond a competitive son of a bitch.

Serena and many of her groupies see the foot-fault call that put Clijsters at match point as a continuation of the inherent racial bias that has plagued Serena's entire tennis career. And perhaps it is. Life is inherently unfair, and a country-club sport like tennis is more racially unfair than most.

How does a top competitor with limitless talent respond to unfairness?

Jordan chose to destroy his challengers and shame the people who propped them up with never-before-seen on-court excellence.

No doubt, racial bias played a role in Buzz Peterson being named North Carolina's high school player of the year over Jordan in 1981. Friday night, Jordan talked about how he roomed with Peterson at UNC and set out to prove Peterson's inferiority. Jordan said he didn't care about the infamous NBA All Star freeze-out allegedly orchestrated by Isiah Thomas and other black players. Jordan said the rumor only made him work harder to prove to his peers that he deserved the attention and acclaim he received at an early age.

Jordan took shots at the high school coach who didn't let him play varsity as a sophomore, Jerry Krause for valuing the franchise more than the players who powered the Bulls, Dean Smith for leaving him off a Sports Illustrated cover and Bryon Russell for daring to say he could defend Air Jordan.

Jordan wasn't a whiner. He was a competitor. He was old school, a reminder of the values that created the social progress and freedom too many black athletes now take for granted.

Kicking ass and taking names earns far more respect than take-my-ball-and-racket-go-home tantrums. No one respects a crybaby, especially one with more ability than everyone else.

Clijsters put a clown suit on Serena. Two-and-a-half years after retiring to have a baby and in her first major since her return, she wiped the court with the self-described No. 1 player. Rather than take her beating like a a grown-ass woman, Serena first smashed her racket and then sacrificed match point with a ridiculous tirade directed at the line judge.

Everybody knows damn well Serena has no business losing a major to a baby's mama. And everyone knows damn well if Serena dropped 20 pounds and focused on her game, she'd be untouchable.

But rather than focus on her unrealized potential, McEnroe and Serena's other groupies want to pretend that calling a foot fault late in a match that Serena was clearly losing was some sort of hate crime worthy of Serena making a fool of herself.

The foot fault didn't cost Serena the U.S. Open. Just like nearly every other loss in her career, Serena's unwillingness to compete at her highest level led to the defeat.

US Open Mens Final 2009 Could Make US Open History

2009-09-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

The US Open men's final 2009 is the US Open's final bow for the 2009 tournament. Expectations around the US Open men's final 2009 are both high and low, in various ways. The US Open men's final 2009 is likely expected to be a laugher, since Roger Federer never loses at the US Open anymore, and Rafael Nadal isn't facing him. But the US Open men's final is also a chance for history, nonetheless, as Federer goes for a record sixth straight championship, and his third Grand Slam of the year. Juan Martin del Potro will try to stop that, and make the US Open men's final another championship thriller.

The US Open men's final 2009 looked destined to be another Federer-Nadal showdown going into yesterday. Instead, Juan Martin del Potro, the sixth-seeded 20-year-old Argentinian, destroyed Nadal in three quick sets. Perhaps del Potro did the US Open a favor, as Nadal may not have posed a huge threat to Federer anyway, given his dropoff ever since winning the Australian Open.

Roger Federer has turned 2009 into his return to glory, as he rebounded from his losses to Nadal last year to take back the number 1 ranking. In fact, if Nadal had not narrowly beaten Federer at the Australian Open final, Federer would be playing for the Grand Slam today. But if Federer wins, he can go for the 'Federer Slam' at next year's Australian Open.

With Federer's 40 match winning streak at the US Open, and with play like his between-the-legs shot to finish off Novac Djokovic yesterday, del Potro is the distant underdog at the US Open men's final 2009.

However, Federer knows that del Potro gave him one of his toughest challenges this year, as del Potro took Federer to the brink at the French Open semifinals. In addition, Federer looked like the heavy favorite against Andy Roddick at the Wimbledon finals, but needed almost five hours to finally finish Roddick - so he can be challenged, if not beaten.

Kanye West Told to Leave VMAs After Upsetting Taylor Swift

2009-09-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Taylor Swift seemed pretty surprised herself to have won the VMA for Best Female Music Video on Sunday evening, but the real shock came when Kanye West suddenly burst onto the stage and rudely stole the microphone from the country crooner during her acceptance speech.

"Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time," West said. "One of the best videos of all time!"

PHOTOS: All the Big Scenes From Taylor Swift's Wild Night.

A clearly embarrassed Swift stood motionless, not knowing what to do as West continued his rant. Eventually, audience members rose to their feet and booed the rapper down as cameras captured a mortified Beyonce. West took his seat (to make matters worse, time was up and Swift didn't even have a chance to fire back) and controversy continued to ensue as a multitude of celebs told him off, prompting security to circle the area.

Monday Night Football Schedule Starts with Monday Night Doubleheader

2009-09-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Monday Night Football schedule is under way tonight with a new tradition. Every Monday Night Football schedule now starts with a doubleheader, as a big early game preludes a less prestigious West Coast game. The 2009 Monday Night Football game schedule has a lot of hype around its very first game, while the second match up is mainly big in the West Coast. But tonight, the Monday Night Football schedule begins with both the Patriots and Chargers hoping to start a Super Bowl season, while the Bills and Raiders try to get back to respectability.

The 2009 Monday Night Football schedule starts at 7 p.m. est at Foxboro, as both Tom Brady Terrell Owens return. Brady plays his first regular season game for the Patriots since going down in the first game of 2008, as he seeks to go back to the Super Bowl. The Patriots are also hosting the Terrell Owens show tonight, as Owens makes his debut for the Buffalo Bills.

The Monday Night Football opener has Brady and Owens providing the major star power, although many do not expect much of a contest beyond that. The Patriots are back to their usual position as Super Bowl favorites, while the Bills are just trying to avoid another 7-9 season. But the Monday Night Football schedule for opening night doesn't end there.

Since ESPN took over Monday Night Football, the opening night schedule has included a second game on the West Coast in week 1. This year, the San Diego Chargers host that game, and like the Patriots, open up a possible Super Bowl season against a team they are expected to beat easily. In this case, the Chargers visit the Raiders, who are going through their usual turmoil.

The Chargers are trying to finally break through to a championship, although they are notoriously slow starters. The Raiders just hope to overshadow the usual mess around Al Davis and his new coach, Tom Cable, who was accused of striking an assistant this off season.

The Chargers and Raiders kick off at around 10:15 p.m. est, though many on the East Coast may tune out after the Patriots-Bills game. After this doubleheader, the Monday Night Football schedule will go back to broadcasting just one game every Monday night.

Is Facebook Fan Check a virus?

2009-09-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

A Facebook application, titled “Facebook Fan Check,” has generated quite a frenzy on the website, prompting users to ask “Is it a virus?”

The application, which recently appeared on the social networking site, generates a list of top Facebook friends depending on how much they post on a person’s wall or comment on photos.

Already, anti-Facebook Fan Check groups such as “GET FACEBOOK TO BAN FACEBOOK FAN CHECK” and “Let’s get Facebook to remove fancheck!” have formed, drawing between 100 to over 1,000 members.

But are the rumors true? What is “Facebook Fan Check” exactly? And is it harmful?

Currently, Facebook users have posted status messages claiming “…that The FAN CHECK application is a VIRUS that takes 48 hours to kick in. Even if you are tagged in a photo the virus still attacks you. Please inform all your friends and remove/delete this application ASAP.”

The application has grown in popularity since its launch. Last Tuesday, the Facebook Fan Check page listed 12.5 million monthly active users, NetworkWorld reported. Later that afternoon, after a withdrawal of concerned Facebook users, only 6.4 million remained.

PC World reports that the real danger may be searching for a website that will remove this rumored virus:

“Malicious hackers are setting up malware-infested Web sites that falsely claim to remove a virus from a new Facebook application called Fan Check, security vendor Sophos is warning…. [A]s Facebook members use popular search engines to find antivirus information about Fan Check, they are getting results that point to sites that can infect their computers with malwar,” Mr. Carlos writes.

The Internet security company, Sophos, has posted a YouTube video (posted below), demonstrating what happens when you search for anti-virus software to remove Facebook Fan Check. The short video shows that clicking on a link in hopes of removing the application leads to a “bogus” anti-virus software that can take control of one’s computer.

Though Sophos hasn’t yet confirmed if the Fan Check application is harmful by itself, company blogger Greg Cluley writes that “the fear about the application is leading Internet users into danger.”

[H]ackers have set up websites pretending to be about the “Facebook Fan Check Virus”, but which really host fake anti-virus software which display bogus warnings about the security of your computer in an attempt to get you to install fraudulent software and cough-up your credit card details.

In a Softpedia article, the creator of Facebook Fan Check, Janakan Arulkumarasa, a developer based in Hong Kong, defends his application from virus rumors, saying it “is NOT a malicious app. Unfortunately, some malicious developers have been spreading a lie that is – and encouraging people to download fake virus scanning software, which damages their computer. This is very unfortunate, but has nothing to do with us."

Democrats push Cass Sunstein nomination

2009-09-09T17:29:00.001-07:00

Democrats succeeded Wednesday in pushing forward the nomination of Cass Sunstein, the controversial Harvard University law professor who has been tapped by President Obama to head the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

In a 63-35 vote Wednesday evening, the Senate voted to end the debate on Sunstein’s nomination, moving Sunstein one step closer to a full vote in the Senate.

Sunstein has been tapped for one of the more wonky jobs in the White House – reviewing the effectiveness of federal regulations. But his nomination has caught fire with conservatives, led by Fox News host Glenn Beck, who have highlighted some of his more liberal positions on animal rights and end of life care. Sunstein has been described by Republicans as one of the many Obama “czars,” but because he requires Senate confirmation, he doesn’t really fit the mold of a “czar” who wield enormous powers with little oversight.

Conservatives are particularly incensed over statements Sunstein has made advocating for greater regulation of hunting rights.

While Republicans will have little ability to stop Sunstein’s nomination, conservatives are feeling energized after their successful push for the resignation of White House green jobs adviser Van Jones, who stepped down from his post this weekend after it was revealed that he had dabbled with 9/11 conspiracy groups and had made inflammatory statements about Republicans.

The heated debate over Sunstein began on the Senate floor just hours before President Obama sets foot in the Capitol to deliver a nationally televised address on health care to Congress.

On his Twitter account Tuesday, Beck blasted Democrats for “rushing” Sunstein’s vote through the Senate.

“Dems likely to vote on Sunstein's nomination TOMORROW; they are afraid of WatchDogs; every day increases their risk of losing this vote,” Beck wrote.

Garrison Keillor suffers minor stroke

2009-09-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

"A Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keillor has suffered a minor stroke and is in the hospital, though he's expected to be released Friday, he said in a statement earlier today.

"I am in the hands of smart and compassionate people and plan to get out on Friday and get right back to work," the 67-year-old radio funny man wrote in an e-mail. He said he began "feeling ill" Monday morning and drove himself to a St. Paul, Minn., hospital. He was transferred later to Saint Mary's Hospital at Mayo Clinic "because they know so much more about me down here."

A Mayo spokesman said Keillor was "up and moving around, speaking sensibly, working at a laptop." In 2001, Keillor had surgery to repair a heart valve.

He is scheduled to open the new season of "A Prairie Home Companion" on Sept. 26 from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.

The Main Characters of Tennis, and Style

2009-09-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

It started out unobtrusively. When Roger Federer unveiled his monogram at Wimbledon in 2006, it was a gold crest embroidered on the breast pocket of the white blazer he wore to accept the trophy. From a distance, it might easily have been mistaken for a club’s insignia. And it did in fact proclaim his admission to a club, one with a membership of two: Federer had joined Tiger Woods as the only other Nike athlete to be marketed on the basis of his initials.

By 2007, the filigreed scrollwork had morphed into stylized block capitals and had spread to his shoes. A year later, the new monogram turned up at Wimbledon, embroidered in gold on an ivory cardigan and framed by a shield, like a Swiss canton’s coat of arms.

This summer, it’s back. It’s big — big enough to be legible in photographs. And it’s everywhere: on his shoes, on his belt tab, on his duffel, on his jackets, on the plastic bags his new rackets come in. Forget all the subtle functions a monogram used to perform — discreetly personalizing a gentleman’s wardrobe, helping the servants sort the shirts. What three years ago seemed a plausible, if affected, personal flourish on the part of an athlete whose style of dress and style of play had positioned him as the Fred Astaire of tennis — light on his feet, with a penchant for tuxedo black for night matches and a Rolex commercial in which he shows off his serve in a two-button suit — had somehow escalated into a master-of-all-he-surveys exercise in personal branding.

Fans took note. Some took umbrage. Tennis bloggers had a field day, nicknaming him Monogram Man or Mr. Monogram or Monogram for short. No sooner had Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the 30th game of Wimbledon’s marathon fifth set than he put on a gold-monogrammed white warm-up jacket emblazoned with a “15” to commemorate his breaking Pete Sampras’s Grand Slam men’s victory record.

That struck some viewers as tactless, at best, and worse, a shocking instance of gloating, a slap in Roddick’s face. Federer’s defenders argued that he was within his rights, like teams that win the Stanley Cup or the Super Bowl and are instantly provided with T-shirts and caps advertising their victory.

Fair enough, although the aura of old-world politesse that surrounds tennis seems to set it apart from sports in which players routinely trash-talk and insult one another’s mothers. Federer later said that somebody handed him the jacket and he just put it on, and besides, he protested, he had worn a jacket with a “14” for his French Open victory and nobody seemed to care.

Some fans speculated that the idea for the monogram had been his all along. Others insisted that Nike made him do it.

“Well, I’m surprised to hear that, because I don’t have to wear anything or do anything anybody tells me,” Federer said during a recent interview in Switzerland. “I do everything myself. It’s really up to me. “

The idea for a monogram emerged from the logo that Mirka Vavrinec, now Federer’s wife, and her father developed for his fragrance, RF-Roger Federer, introduced in 2003. The result was a freehand squiggle. If you knew what you were looking at, you saw the R and the F; if you didn’t, you didn’t. (A three-letter monogram was apparently never an option because Federer has no middle name.)

Federer liked the approach and suggested that Nike come up with a strategy along the same lines.

“For me, it’s important that a fan can buy something that is related to me,” he said. “Like in soccer, you buy a shirt and it’s got somebody’s name on the back. That’s kind of a cool thing.”

His intent was that a monogram would offer a connection as direct but not as literal as a team jersey.

From their first, Ralph Lauren-like crest, Nike “evolved the concept and made it more relevant to performance products, very modern and very sleek,” said Janet Lucena, the design director for Nike global tennis apparel. Letters are laser-cut instead of embroidered, for a more contemporary look and a lighter weight.

“They’ve eliminated the common element, the vertical stroke, so it’s only the horizontals that differentiate the two letters,” said Michael Bierut, a partner in the New York office of Pentagram, the international design consulting firm. “I think it’s a nice balancing act — the idea of tradition with this serif font and modernity with the missing parts of the letters, asking your mind’s eye to fill in what’s not there.”

The Federer monogram, Bierut said, “is not particularly remarkable as a logo, but within its genre and the overall landscape of sports graphics, I think it’s quite distinctive.”

“The ‘NY’ for the Yankees — that’s a monogram, too,” he continued. “But sports monograms are generally more forthright and blunt. The Federer monogram creates not a sports brand but a fashion brand.”

The font — a slightly redrawn version of Bodoni, which with its cousin Didot has been the basis for logos for Vogue, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton — is “a signifier of fashion at the high end,” Bierut said, adding, “With the sort of enigmatic way it’s been drawn, Federer’s monogram is partaking of the cues of high design.”

No player on the men’s tour seems as intrigued by fashion as Federer, nor has any other player been so roundly criticized for his clothes. Case in point: his entrance for this year’s Wimbledon final, in a white suit that looked like the sort of uniform a British Army officer might have worn in India.

“I thought the military jacket would be something completely different, something cool,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a bit more aggressive, either a love or hate thing. But that’s not bad. You can’t always be the nice guy, going through the middle, like, All right, I’m just wearing a cardigan again this year.”

Heidi Dejong Barsuglia: Affair with Michael Duvall Caught on Audiotape

2009-09-09T17:21:00.001-07:00

Heidi Dejong Barsuglia is a lobbyist who allegedly slept with Orange County Assemblyman Mike Duvall. Mike Duvall was caught on tape bragging about having sexual relations with two women that were not his wife. Heidi Dejong Barsuglia is one of those women.

Who is Heidi Dejong Barsuglia? Before the scandal surrounding Mike Duvall and his inappropriate relations with Heidi Dejong Barsuglia and another unnamed woman, we never once heard that name. Now Heidi Dejong Barsuglia has made a name as the mistress of yet another philandering politician.

Michael Duvall is 54 years old and is married with two children. Heidi Dejong Barsuglia is 18 years his junior, turning 36 this past July. Although the age gap is not particularly disturbing, Michael Duvall's description of Heidi Dejong Barsuglia is. Michael Duvall was caught on tape stating that Heidi Dejong Barsuglia "wears little eyepatch underwear". According to LA Late, the rest of Michael Duvall's accounts of his exploits were "a bit more fitting for the pages of Maxim".

Heidi Dejong Barsuglia is only the latest mistress to be caught in the center of a political sex scandal. Ashley Dupre, a.k.a. "Kristen" was the call girl of New York governor Eliot Spitzer. Once news of the sex scandal broke, she earned over $200,000 in musical downloads in one month alone.

Heidi Dejong Barsuglia also joins the ranks of other high profile mistresses such as Monica Lewinsky and Maria Belen Chapur. Like all these other women, Heidi Dejong Barsuglia was all but unheard of until they got involved with a politician.

Many mistresses of philandering politicians go on to make profit off their escapades. Heidi Dejong Barsuglia is probably no exception, either. Although Heidi Dejong Barsuglia will probably have issues with her current career as a lobbyist (where sleeping with a politician is a big no-no), doors are opened for her for book deals, exclusive interviews, and more.

Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigns after his sex comments are broadcast

2009-09-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Reporting from Sacramento - An Orange County lawmaker who inadvertently broadcast explicit remarks about his sexual conquests over an open microphone during a lull in a Sacramento hearing abruptly resigned from office this afternoon.

Assemblyman Mike Duvall (R-Yorba Linda) stepped down after legislative leaders stripped him of his committee posts this morning and launched an ethics probe of his actions.

"I am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly, who are working hard on the very serious problems facing our state," Duvall said in a written statement. "I have come to the conclusion that it would not be fair to my family, my constituents or to my friends on both sides of the aisle to remain in office. Therefore, I have decided to resign my office, effective immediately, so that the Assembly can get back to work."

Legislative leaders had earlier expressed disgust at the comments of Duvall, who was vice chairman of the Utilities and Commerce Committee and a member of the Rules Committee. And at least one Republican Party official had said the lawmaker should consider resigning.

His remarks were caught on videotape during a July hearing of the Assembly Appropriations committee and aired on a KCAL television news report Tuesday night. In the videotape, the married, socially conservative Duvall talks with a colleague in uninhibited detail about his apparent trysts with two women, neither of them his wife.

The KCAL report says one of the women is a lobbyist for a major utility with business before Duvall's committee. In the videotape, Duvall says her birthday is July 6, the same date as a Sacramento lobbyist for the San Diego-based energy firm Sempra.

The company issued a written statement this afternoon, saying it "takes very seriously any reports involving the conduct of our employees."

"We are investigating this matter and the recent media reports that named one of our employees," the Sempra statement said. "The employee has denied the speculative media reports. Our investigation will be conducted to ensure not only that our policies on employee conduct are strictly adhered to, but also that our employee is treated fairly."

Duvall, who had declined to answer questions about his remarks, posted an apology for the July comments on his campaign website this morning.

"I made a mistake and I sincerely apologize," the statement said. "I deeply regret the comments I made in what I believed to be a private conversation. This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved."

On the tape, Duvall describes the "little eye-patch underwear" worn by one of the women. He refers to the age gap between her and him, after a recent birthday made them 18 years apart. "Now, you're getting old, man, I am going to have to trade you in," he said he told her.

Later, he tells the colleague about a second woman.

"Sher, Shar, Shar - oh, she is hot. I talked to her yesterday. She goes, 'So are we finished?' " Duvall says, adding that he replied no. He continues: "And I go, 'You know about the other one, but the other one doesn't know about you.' "

Before Duvall resigned, Orange County Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh said he had seen the video, "and there's absolutely nothing you can defend in anything that was said by Assemblyman Duvall." He added: "My heart goes out to his family, but I think he should go home and consider resigning."

The Capitol Resource Institute, a conservative, self-described "pro-family" advocacy organization that had given Duvall a "100%" score for his voting record on issues of concern to the group, denounced the lawmaker in a statement today.

"It is always disappointing when a champion of traditional values does not practice the same in his private life," said Karen England, executive director of CRI. "And this appears to be the case with Assemblyman Duvall."

The scandal has erupted as lawmakers scurry to act on dozens of bills with just three days left in the legislative session. They have yet to finish work on the state's prison overcrowding crisis, its water infrastructure problems and other major issues.

"I am terribly disappointed by the situation surrounding Assemblyman Duvall's comments," said Assembly GOP Leader Sam Blakeslee of San Luis Obispo. " The statements he made were inappropriate and unacceptable."

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said Duvall's comments left her "saddened and disappointed. . . .The Assembly has some very important policy work to complete in the next couple of days and we will not allow this situation to become a distraction."

'Special Report' Panel on Green Jobs Czar Van Jones' Resignation

2009-09-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is a rush transcript of "Special Report With Bret Baier" from September 7, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE PENCE, (R) INDIANA: This isn't just about the extremist views of one man. The president should suspend any future appointment of so-called czars while the administration and the Congress carefully examines the background and qualifications of the more than 30 individuals who have been appointed to these czar positions.

VALERIE JARRETT, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: We were so delighted to be able to recruit him into the White House. We have been watching him, really, for — he's not that old — for as long as he has been active out in Oakland in all of the ways that he has — creative ideas that he has. And now we have captured that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRET BAIER, "SPECIAL REPORT" HOST: That is Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama, talking about Van Jones, who was the green jobs czar until this weekend, when he resigned late into the evening, actually, early Sunday morning.

With the release, the White House tried to step away, saying it was Jones' decision to resign. There you see Valerie Jarrett commenting just two weeks ago, August 15.

Here is part of the resignation statement from Van Jones: "On the eve of historic votes for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide." So let's bring in our panel about all of this — Fred Barnes, Executive Editor of "The Weekly Standard," Mort Kondracke, Executive Editor of "Roll Call," and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer. Charles, we did a story about how little coverage elsewhere there has been about Van Jones, but the fact that he signed on to this 9/11 petition that said the government was complicit in the 9/11 attacks and some of the other things, a long list that he said in his career, were not talked about in that final resignation statement.

Plenty of Boom in this year's Boom Days

2009-09-08T15:26:00.001-07:00

It’s early September and that means the Boom Days Heritage Festival will soon be upon us. If you’re not immediately familiar with some of the headline acts this year, a quick Google search reveals the weight (as in significance, not pounds) of the scheduled performers. What you’ll find is that Boom Day headliners Sam Lay, Leon Russell and Charlie Louvin are all pretty impressive, and each has made significant contributions to the world of music.

Here’s a quick look, with Web sites where you can learn more:

* Sam Lay (vh1.com/artists/az/lay_sam/bio.jhtml). Blues Show, Sept. 12, DeKalb Theater, 8 p.m.

When the world of rock changed forever, Sam Lay was there. Lay, born in 1935 in Birmingham, began his musical career in 1957 when he signed on as the drummer with the original Thunderbirds. In 1965, Lay played a revolutionary performance at the Newport Folk Festival, backing this folk musician who decided to introduce electric-rock into the mix. History tells us this may have immediately scandalized the crowd, but what’s indisputable is that it marked a watershed moment in the evolution of rock music. Lay went on to back that aforementioned folk musician; some guy named Bob Dylan, on one of his alums, “Highway 61 Revisited.” And yeah, all that really is a huge deal.

* Charlie Louvin (wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Louvin). Keynote Concert, Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

There’s not much I can say about Louvin local people don’t already know. As one half of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie – a Henagar native — was considered among the most influential musicians of the 40s and 50s. The duo started singing gospel, and then segued into country. He began a solo career in 1963 and he and his music continue to exert influence.

* Leon Russell (wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Russell). Rock & Roll Show, Sept. 19, DeKalb Theatre, 8 p.m.

Russell has been described as “the ultimate rock and roll session man.” As a highly sought-after keyboardist, Russell has backed Dylan too, not to mention just about anybody else who is anybody, including Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, The Rolling Stones, and a host of others. But Russell has also found much success as a songwriter and performer in his own right.

Alright then, there’s your rundown. See you at the show.

New Melanie Oudin Photos

2009-09-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Melanie Oudin's improbable success at the US Open has gained her thousands of new fans. The the 17-year-old knocked out Natalie Petrova during a thrilling match yesterday, one of the best we've seen so far this year at the 2009 US Open.

The phenom battled back after dropping the first set to the much taller, much more experienced Petrova, who was widely considered a favorite to win the match. However Oudin maintained and battled back, as the crowd in Queens quickly became a lop-sided booster section for the the youngest player since Serena Williams to reach the quarterfinals.

Elisabetta Canalis photos with George Clooney surface from the Venice Film Festival

2009-09-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

George Clooney has a new lady in his life: 30 year-old Italian beauty Elisabetta Canalis. The star of the upcoming movie The Men Who Stare At Goats brought along his new girlfriend to the premiere. Photos of the couple have been hitting the internet, and they certainly do make a lovely pair!

Clooney has known the actress, model, and TV host for several years. His last long-term girlfriend was Sarah Larson (and it's clear from the photos of Canalis that Clooney has a type!). Clooney and Canalis have spent time together at his Lake Como villa and have been snapped several times boating on the lake. The premiere, however, marks the first time the pair have gone public with their romance.

Clooney has remained notoriously single, never staying in a relationship for long. Could Canalis be the woman who finally convinces Clooney it's time to settle down?

Obama's school speech video

2009-09-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

President Obama delivered the speech to students across the country today that has created quite a controversy. The setting was Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia and was met along the way with protests. One sign read "Mr. President, stay away from our kids." Not exactly a warm welcome!

Before giving his speech, the president met with a group of students in the school library. Proving he's not entirely out of touch with what kids today are up to, he advised students to "be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life."

The speech drew controversy from some conversatives who believe the president is bypassing parents and going straight to children to push his agenda. Other parents were more concerned about the proposed lesson plans that were to accompany the speech, including one that asked students to write a letter to President Obama on how they would help him. Although the lesson plans were revised, and never mandatory, parents were still upset that the federal government was involving itself in educational curriculum, something that is decided at a state level.

Now that the speech is over, President Obama will likely get back to his latest controversy: Healthcare reform.

Here is the president's speech, in case you missed it or would like to watch it with your child.

Obstructionist call; Obama haters, birthers, school non-attenders answer

2009-09-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

CALL FOR PHILLIP MORRIS. CALL FOR PHILLIP MORRIS. Ask a seasoned person who Phillip Morris is. They will no doubt tell you it was a 1930s radio advertising campaign where a hotel bellhop bellowed out the cigarette brand and got the attention of the guests in the lobby.

That was then, now a call analogous to the bellhops bellow is the call from the obstructionist and the call is for VITRIOL. For some of these anti-President Obama obstructionists these constant calls against some of Obama's initiatives are simply vitriolic nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Reason and civility be damned.

Today, the call goes out against his reportedly positive pre-screened message to some school children. Tomorrow, on speed dial is the call to denounce his message for optional universal health coverage. A few are pledged to vilify no matter how innocuous the message, noble the intent, clarifying the information, vetted the content, precedented the occasion or polished the delivery. Most always the call is to respond without reason, rationale, or considerations of social justice and economic equity for all Americans.

In the recent President Obama school speech related news cycle one emotionally over-wrought parent (mother) while being interviewed broke into tears. Next to her sat possibly the child's father who smiled, looked and listened to her comment at the very thought of her child being exposed to Obama-talk at school. "Thinking about my kids, sorry, in school having to listen to that [man] just really upsets me."

What man? Judging from her pathos one may have speculated the president of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) not The President of the United States was going to speak. Perhaps, her kids will spend their day resurrecting the Hitler Youth Movement Day Camps with instructions from
Pastor Steven Anderson. Anderson, the Arizona based so-called pastor who wants President Obama to die, his wife to become a widow and his children left fatherless. No doubt, her children will not be raised to keep an open mind, respect the views of others and appreciate cultural diversity for just a few of the lessons that won't be taught at their day camp.

Nonetheless, President Obama's address to school children has precedent. President Obama agreed not to politicize his comments or promote his policies. However, had the teary-eyed mother heard another president so-called, “The Great Communicator” President Reagan extol the virtues of his tax cuts before school children she may have been put on suicide watch. Perhaps, not.

In order of recent precedental and presidential appearance:

Circa 1988. According to mediamatters.org this summarizes the event. On November 14, 1988,President Reagan addressed and took questions from students. Likewise, according to his press secretary Marlin Fitzwater the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span and Instructional Television Network fed the program “to schools nationwide on three different days." A great portion of Reagan's speech spoke to the American "vision of self-government" and the need to keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of America."

However, in the middle of the speech the president began to politicize about the importance of low taxes. Reportedly, Reagan asked, ". . . have you studied yet the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped tea in the Harbor? Well, that was America's original tax revolt..."

Add to that, Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” to drugs; advice some remember as being given first in 1982 to students at Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland, California.

Circa 1991. Similarly, according to Denver News - The Latest Word--Reagan's successor President Bush the first in a September 1991 teleconference addressed school children. In a moment of educational motivation and self-candor said, “All of you can turn learning into an adventure. And to do this you have to prepare not just by studying, but by studying hard, especially math and science. And that means doing what I too often fail to do, that means homework.”

Moreover, in 2001 Bush asked the kids to each donate a dollar to improve conditions for Afghanistan children.

Expectedly, both Reagan’s and Bush’s addresses were characterized by the loyal opposition as “political advertising.”

Circa today. The call for vitriol is not only against Obama’s message to school children and support of universal health care, but also against his very duly elected presidency. Predictably, this call in not so much being characterized by the loyal opposition, but spin-framed and answered by rather irrational, emotional and vitriolic wingnuts.

Melanie Oudin: The U.S. Open's Cinderella Story

2009-09-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Tennis's latest giant-killer is all of 5'6"-tall, just 130 lbs., and is not ashamed to say she has 15-year-old boyfriend. On Monday, Melanie Oudin's Cinderella story continued with the Georgia native's upset of 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova.

Oudin, 17, who has already ousted former U.S. Open champ Maria Sharapova and 4th-seeded Elena Dementieva, now advances to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

"I didn't think I started off to well," she said on TV after her victory on Monday. "I stayed in there with her in the second set . . . and gained my confidence, believing I could do it and I did it."

The first half of the match was close before Oudin prevailed. "It was tough. She was all over me," she told an interviewer of her veteran opponent. "I just kept fighting and I’m so happy that I won."

'A Star Is Born'

With a raucous home crowd behind her, she came from behind to defeat Petrova 1-6, 7-6 and 6-3. "A star is born!" sportscaster Dick Enberg said after the match. "Don't underestimate what this woman can do.”

Oudin will next play the winner of Monday's match between 9th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and 6th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Expect her to be wear her famous shoes, which say "Believe."

Austin Smith, her 15-year-old boyfriend, who joined Oudin in New York along with her family, takes credit for the sneakers. He told the New York Times that Oudin wanted to stand apart from other pros by putting a mantra on her shoes rather than a nickname.

"For me, it's all about that," Oudin said in the Times. "It's believing that I can beat these girls."

As her family, including her twin sister, cheered her on in the crowd, Oudin said their support makes her "more motivated. It's awesome." Tonight she plans to watch her next challenger's match and "celebrate my win later."

Oudin entered the tournament ranked 70th and is the youngest American to reach the quarterfinals since Serena Williams did so 10 years ago.

Jerry Lewis MDA telethon 2009 a big deal for Martial Arts Schools

2009-09-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon 2009 is a big deal for 1,000's of martial arts schools across America and the World, that do fund raisers for MDA with Kick a thon's, punch a thons, break a thons, etc. When I was teaching Karate and Jiu Jitsu at Louisiana State University in the 1970's. The LSU karate team always had a MDA event to raise money. That was almost 40 years ago and it was a great event for the students and the University. We raised a lot of money for MDA and helped a lot of kids.

Today's hundreds of martial arts school across America are not only raising money for MDA but helping teach students with MD and other special need children. I have taught dozens of kids and even some adults with MD and know schools in Dallas that have some MD kids that are great martial artists.

The martial arts is a great sport and activity for all children and especially for children suffering from MD. They learn balance, coordination, confidence, build muscles and of course learn to defend themselves from bullies and people that would attack or take advantage of them. I remember teaching one kid with MD who was also blind and he was so appreciative of the classes. For the first time he felt empowered to be able to defend himself against people who threatened him. He was a very independent young man and walked to classes after riding a bus alone to the University. He told me that he sometimes felt afraid, not of being blind and having MD but of people who actually would steal money and books and even food from him on the bus. Taking martial arts, he said gave him the confidence to defend himself.

If you have a child with MD and would like for them to learn some self defense, there are hundreds of schools in the DFW are and 1,000's across America that would give them free self defense lessons and even free martial arts classes. Your child will love the martial arts program and the benefits they receive from their martial arts training will last a lifetime.

To recognize Jerry Lewis and MDA I am giving away free copies of my best selling E book The 100 Dealiest Karate Moves. Just click here to get your copy, and when you do, go to the MDA site and give a donation to help some kid with MD.

Rutgers football mailbag

2009-09-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

With kickoff to Rutgers' 2009 season only minutes away, we're about to get some concrete answers to the questions you asked this morning.

But in the meantime I'll offer my insights to your inquires below:

From NJ.com user, RUHigh:
Which RU offensive lineman faces the biggest challenge in today's game?

I know my answer might surprise you, but Anthony Davis. Not so much from what Cincinnati will throw at him defensively from either Ricardo Mathews or John Hughes, but because he has the most pressure to live up to. Davis showed up to camp slightly out-of-shape, which was surprising given everything that's expected of him this year at the left tackle spot. I think with a new quarterback, potential NFL hype and pressure to perform, that Davis will really have to focus on staving off the Bearcats pressure.

From Tweeter, @MarcCurrie:
Does Sanu have enough upside to fill the Kenny Britt void?

I think he does. He's got the athletic ability that made Kenny Britt so dangerous, as well as the play-making ability. Sanu is tall and looks the part of the big, play-maker wide receiver that Rutgers has gotten used to the last three years. I think that even though Sanu is smart and looks the part, you're going to have to live with some "freshman" games. But I think it will pay off in time.

Nikki Catsouras car crash photos are still a rage

2009-09-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Sept 8, 2009: Three years ago, 18-year-old Nikki Catsouras reportedly got into an argument with her father and he took away her car keys. She then took her father’s black Porsche 911 Carrera and while driving at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, she lost control of the vehicle and smashed into a concrete tollbooth. She was killed instantly and then just a few days later, nine graphic Nikki Catsouras car crash photos were published all over the internet.

Just days after the accident, her father Christos, who is a real estate agent, reveived an e-mail that he thought was a property listing, but turned out to be pictures of his daughter Nikki’s blood-covered face accompanied by the following caption: “Whoohoo Daddy! Hey Daddy, I’m still alive.”

California Highway Patrol apologized for the leaked photos blaming two CHP dispatchers. One of the men’s attorney said that he sent the images to relatives and friends “as a cautionary tale” to warn them of the dangers of the road. “Any young person that sees these photos and is goaded into driving more cautiously or less recklessly-that’s a public service.” One was suspended and the other one ended up quitting.

Since then the Catsourases have spent thousands of dollar in legal fees attempting to stop the photos from being published and sued the CHP for negligence, invasion of privacy and emotional distress, but in March of 2008, the case was dismissed by a California superior-court judge.

Leah Lust: From Teacher to Porn Star

2009-08-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

Tiffany Shepherd Used to Be a Teacher; She's Now a Porn Star Who Goes by the Name Leah Lust

According to Page 2 Live, Tiffany Shepherd, who was fired last year from her teaching job at Port St. Lucie High School in Florida after she was caught moonlighting as a bikini mate on Smokin' Em charters fishing tours (pictures of a bikini-clad Shepherd at work as a bikini mate were plastered all over the Net), has become a porn star. She goes by the Leah Lust and is usually cast as a teacher type (naturally) or, as Page 2 Live puts it, a "wife-next-door."

"I'm not particularly proud of it. To be honest, I hate it," said Shepherd (aka Leah Lust) to Page 2 Live. "I'm an educated woman, but I never though it would come to this. No one gets brought up thinking they'll be a floozy."

Tiffany Shepherd (aka Leah Lust) claims that since she was fired last year from her job as a biology teacher at Port St. Lucie High, she has been unable to find work - even a job that pays minimum wage. She says that she had sent out 2,500 resumes to no avail. In a desperate attempt to earn a decent living, Tiffany Shepherd/Leah Lust, who is divorced and lost custody of two of her three children, has turned to porn.

"I need money for the appellate court and raise my three kids," says Tiffany Shepherd/Leah Lust. "I've tried everything, every avenue. Last year, I refused $10,000 to strip, then I had to pick between paying rent and buying Christmas presents."

Interestingly, it is Gil Coombes, the owner of the the Fort Pierce fishing charter where Tiffany Shepherd/Leah Lust used to work as a bikini mate, who got her into the porn industry. He and his wife own a porn webcam studio called KLC productions and Tiffany Shepherd/Leah Lust has reportedly appeared in some porn clips produced by KLC.

Tiffany Shepherd/Leah Lust will not confirm how much she is making as a porn star, but she did tell Page 2 Live that some porn actresses make up to $5,000 a scene.

But that figure may be inflated. According to the Los Angeles Times, the porn industry is not doing so well. Simply put, there is too much competition from all the free X-rated content available on the Internet.

Hurricane Jimena’s Track Points Towards Baja California

2009-08-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

A powerful Category 4 hurricane churning in the Pacific Ocean, Jimena is attracting a lot of attention from worried residents along the Baja California peninsula. The dangerous storm is likely to be the first major hurricane to hit Baja since 1989.

We’ve always thought that Governments face an interesting challenge when it comes to hurricanes – one must adequately convey the potential dangers of disobeying evacuation orders so that people will in fact evacuate without provoking a widespread panic resulting in chaos.

We wish the residents of Baja the best of luck as they ride out the storm.

Listen to Jay-Z's 'Blueprint 3' for free on September 1st

2009-08-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

Despite the leaked tracks that have emerged from Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 album, fans will get the chance to hear the album in its entirety starting September 1st.

In a venture with MTV and Rhapsody, you will get a chance to hear the 15-track album for free on Rhapsody and MTV’s websites. In addition to the partnership, Rhapsody will be the exclusive retailer for Blueprint 3 from September 8-10, prior to the official album release date which is September 11th.
Jay had this to say about the partnership with Rhapsody and MTV.

It's great to get the support of two major music industry players for The Blueprint 3," said Jay-Z. "Rhapsody brought an amazing creative vision to the table, and it was exciting collaborating with them.

Jay-Z is also set to star in three Rhapsody TV ad spots featuring his new song with Kanye West and Rihanna “Run This Town”. The commercials will premiere tomorrow (09.01). In addition to the two 30-second commercial spots, a 60-minute Rhapsody TV spot starring Jay-Z will premiere during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13th. The rapper is also scheduled to be one of the performers on the roster.

You can listen to the Blueprint 3 starting tomorrow by visiting (www.rhapsody.com/jay-z) and MTV's "The Leak" (http://theleak.mtv.com/).

To get your copy of Blueprint 3 before September 11th, visit the Rhapsody MP3 Store at www.rhapsody.com/mp3. This version of the album will feature two exclusive Jay-Z tracks.

Red Carpet Photos from the 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards

2009-08-31T14:44:00.001-07:00

The 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards, hosted by Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams, are off and running on the CW. Alongside which soap opera or talk show host will walk away with the coveted golden statue, fans are dying to know which celebrity had the best (and worst) fashion sense.

Check out the slide show below to see what the daytime television stars wore to the big show. Be sure to visit the Boston TV Examiner page for post-Daytime Emmy Award show coverage, as well.

Big Brother 11 Pandora's Box Twist Has Fans Buzzing

2009-08-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Big Brother 11 Pandora's Box mystery has fans scratching their heads. It has also sent fans scrambling to the internet, trying to figure out exactly what this rumored "Big Brother 11 Pandora's Box" actually might be. It all goes back to a mystery door that was found at the back of the HOH bedroom, and which is going to apparently provide a major twist to the game, some of which has already happened in the house. The biggest mystery behind the Pandora's Box story in the house, is that even the live feed watchers can't figure out what is going to happen, and the houseguests themselves appear to be somewhat still in the dark.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The facts that have been revealed about the Big Brother 11 mystery door, and its relation to Pandora's Box are limited at best. What is known, is that when the head of household (Kevin) was given an instruction card, and showed a mystery door where he could enter if he so chose. There has been debate online as to whether Kevin was actually given a choice to go in or not, and that production told him to just do it. This has not been confirmed yet, but Kevin did go in the door, found himself not alone, and was handcuffed and locked inside the mystery room. It was then left up to the rest of the house to free him.

What transpired after Kevin went into the mystery room, and what is going to happen as a result of this sub-plot in the house is anyone's guess at this point. Jeff found the key that would end up letting Kevin out of the house, and chose to do that instead of going after money, and further conjecture from fans that watch the live feeds is that all of the house guests were able to gain cash prizes in the back yard during this "luxury competition." The term Pandora's Box is coming into play, because there will be consequences to Kevin being let out of the mystery room, but whether they are good or bad ones for the people that participated is up in the air. It is also unclear whether the key that Jeff found to let Kevin out has other meanings in the house.

FIRE UPDATE: More evacuations issued

2009-08-30T13:36:00.001-07:00

LA CAÑADA — Hundreds of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes this morning after an estimated 7,500-acre, quick-moving brush fire came dangerously close to communities.

La Cañada officials issued mandatory evacuations at noon today for residents in the communities just west of previous evacuations, which were ordered Friday night. More than 150 residents were ordered to evacuate Friday.

“Do not risk your life to save your home,” county Supervisor Mike Antonovich said in a news conference today. “Save your life and let the public safety save your home.”

The Station fire started at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday near the Angeles Crest Highway just north of La Cañada in the Angeles National Forest. Firefighters lost control of the fire when it jumped a main ridge Thursday night.

The fire remained 5% contained this morning, but 1,800 homes and 52 building are still threatened.

“Our strategy right now is to kick the fire when it’s down and fall back to a defensive mode when we need to and go back after it again,” said Mike Dietrich, the fire’s incident commander.

So far, the blaze’s intense heat has resulted in one firefighter being rushed to a nearby hospital for dehydration and renal failure, officials said. The firefighter was going to be released from the hospital today.

While the fire is shifting east into Altadena, fires continue to burn locally, city representative Kevin Chun said.

Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station closed streets along Oceanview Boulevard in La Crescenta today. The streets include Bristow Drive, Derwood Drive, Manestee Drive and Highrim Road.

A 24-hour American Red Cross emergency shelter set up at La Cañada High School has been home for some residents who left their houses and belongings Friday night and early this morning during mandatory evacuations.

Three evacuations were ordered between 10:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 this morning, said Lt. David Fender, sheriff’s incident commander.

Most residents left their homes, but a few opted to stay, he said.

At that time, sheriff’s officials asked those who stayed for information regarding their next of kin, Fender said.

“If it’s mandatory, it means it’s very dangerous,” he said. “We want them to leave.”

About 50 residents and their pets went to the emergency shelter overnight, said Linda Mayer, Red Cross spokesperson. The Pasadena Humane Society was at the center to take care of pets, she said.

Large farms animals that need to be evacuated can be taken to Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.

Residents who were asked to evacuated received calls from La Cañada’s reverse 911 system, warning them that they had two hours to gather their valuables and leave their homes.

Phoebe Von Migula, who lives in Alta Canyada Road, was caught off guard by mandatory evacuation, especially because she hadn’t really packed any valuables. She packed important documents and vintage photographs.

“They didn’t say, ‘We’d like you to leave,’” she said. “They said, ‘Leave, the flames will be here in two hours.’”

Von Migula got to the shelter at 4 a.m., but she didn’t sleep because she was concerned about her rescue cat, Suzy.

She had to leave Suzy at home because she refused to go inside a crate.

“She fought and screamed and yelled,” Von Migula said. “I couldn’t fight with her any more because I didn’t want to hurt her. She’s guarding the house.”

Though Von Migula is concerned about her home being damaged in the fire, she is more worried about her cat.

“It would be the biggest thing on my mind, except for Suzy,” she said. “It’s silly to see a little kitty worries you more than a house, but she doesn’t know and I couldn’t explain it to her.”

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena will also be closed until Sunday evening due to the fires.

Cassel leaves because of injury in Chiefs’ 14-10 loss to the Seahawks

2009-08-30T13:34:00.001-07:00

It was familiar and troubling, another Chiefs starting quarterback being helped off the field because of an injury. And there was Kansas City, turning to Tyler Thigpen again as the replacement.

Matt Cassel was supposed to be the answer. The Chiefs traded for him in March, signed him to a big contract in June, and hoped he’d emerge as something the team didn’t have last year: a healthy, reliable quarterback with a bright future.

Now, the questions are back.

“I don’t think we’re going to be a high-powered group right now,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said.

Cassel was helped to the locker room after the Chiefs’ third offensive play in a 14-10 loss to Seattle on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane sacked Cassel from behind, and Cassel fell to the turf grabbing his left leg. He got up slowly but rejoined the huddle before calling a timeout and being helped to the locker room. He never returned to the Chiefs’ sideline, and Haley wouldn’t discuss Cassel’s condition or the team’s other injured players, cornerback Brandon Flowers and wide receiver Devard Darling. All those players left the Chiefs locker room Saturday night without speaking to reporters.

The team announced that Cassel had a leg injury and that his return was questionable. The injuries to Flowers and Darling helped spoil the Chiefs’ preseason home finale and threw a shadow over Kansas City’s hopes of dramatic improvement after two miserable seasons.

“A step back,” Haley said. “It was a real struggle out there.”

Cassel’s injury was something Kansas City couldn’t afford. Cassel was more valuable than the $28 million guaranteed contract he signed two months ago: He was the future. Cassel was supposed to be the quarterback the Chiefs had waited decades for, and even if he couldn’t become Len Dawson, he at least wouldn’t be Brodie Croyle or Damon Huard.

It was Croyle and Huard who couldn’t stay healthy last year, their season-ending injuries contributing to the Chiefs’ franchise-worst 2-14 record. Croyle, who once faced expectations similar to the ones Cassel faces now, injured his shoulder in the first week last year and then blew out a knee six weeks later in his first game back. Huard suffered a series of mysterious injuries and was placed on injured reserve after the seventh week.

The Chiefs had no choice then but to turn to Thigpen. He had his moments last year, but he didn’t do enough that the Chiefs felt comfortable entering another season with him as the starter. Instead, they acquired Cassel and spent part of the offseason beefing up their offensive line — a project that, if Saturday’s contest was an indication, requires lots more work.

“There was a lot more in terms of offense that we needed to clean up,” right tackle Damion McIntosh said.

That’s after the Chiefs traded for two more linemen last week, sending an undisclosed 2010 draft pick to Miami for what Kansas City hoped would be some insurance on a line that caused worry in last week’s game at Minnesota, and proof Saturday that protecting the Chiefs’ quarterback will be a tall order in 2009.

Cassel’s injury happened early enough Saturday that the Chiefs’ night, weekend and maybe the season were soured, but they still hoped to salvage something. The defense looked ready to take a much-needed step forward. Top draft pick Tyson Jackson had a sack and a tipped pass that turned into Flowers’ interception, which he returned 28 yards for a touchdown.

Cabo San Lucas area braces for Hurricane Jimena but will welcome the rain

2009-08-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

If you've scheduled a fishing trip to Cabo San Lucas early this week, bring your umbrella and plan on spending time indoors.

Hurricane Jimena, off mainland Mexico, has intensified overnight and is classified as a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of about 135 mph. At 8 a.m. Sunday its center was located 515 miles south-southeast of Cabo and was tracking to the northwest (see graphic below) at about 9 mph.

The National Hurricane Center predicts it will skirt the Baja California peninsula before making landfall Tuesday night in the Magdalena Bay area. It will deliver plenty of much-needed rain, but might also cause extensive flooding.

The region desperately needs rain. Cattle are perishing and some residents in Los Cabos and throughout Baja California Sur are being given running water only once or twice a week. (Running water is not an issue for hotel guests.)

The storm might also lead to temporary port closures. Eric Bricston, who runs Gordo Banks Pangas out of San Jose del Cabo, said via e-mail: "This storm does look dangerous and most likely on Monday morning we will have to haul all of the pangas [skiffs] out of the marina docking area up to the houses. A lot of heavy work, but it is better to be safe than sorry."

That's a common refrain at this time of year.

Kirstie Alley plays the role of Brenda Geck in 'Family Sins'

2009-08-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

For those who want a little Stockholm Syndrome with their "Flowers in the Attic," CBS offers Sunday night movie "Family Sins." Based on the true story of Frances Burt, a Rhode Island woman whose cruelty to her foster children knew no bounds, the made-for details the most appalling abuse imaginable: beatings with electrical cords, forcing kids to shoplift and then hitting them when they get caught, withholding food for minor infractions. Though it's only a skin-deep treatment of the subject -- those interested in a Ph.D-level exploration of deviant psychology need not apply -- salacious nature of the plot will keep auds hooked.

Burt is fictionalized as Brenda Geck, a New Hampshire housewife whose generous, church-going, upright-citizen demeanor belies a role as the head, more or less, of her own crime family.

Played by a blowsy Kirstie Alley, Geck's vile nature is inherent in both broad strokes and little details. It sounds hopelessly over the top, but Alley gives a touch of dark humor to the proceedings to make it bearable. After maliciously being teased by Geck for being fat, foster daughter Marie (Deanna Milligan) reveals she's pregnant. Alley's shrill sneer as she wonders if the rapist was either her husband or her son sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

Marie eventually escapes and tells the media of her imprisonment, resulting in the filing of about a billion criminal charges against Geck and her family. The beatings, the insurance fraud arsons, the mental abuse is dealt with briskly -- a viewer doesn't have much time to ponder the most recent atrocity before a new one is revealed. Without the time for reflection, the tone of Graeme Clifford's ("The Last Don") made-for is breezy, even if the subject matter is the absolute opposite.

Performances are solid throughout, with Kathleen Wilhoite (she's had recurring parts on "ER,""Gilmore Girls," "Mad About You" and "L.A. Law") a standout as Marie's simple mother who is locked in the Geck's basement for 20 years -- and is thankful for the kindness the torturers have shown her over the decades.

The big question, of course, is why Geck became such a monster. No motive is ever given beyond an offhand reference to financial gain and the traditional "we may never know what drove this woman to commit these deeds" explanatory platitude for psychos.

Camerawork and editing is creative, with flashbacks given a different tone depending on the age and demeanor of the narrator. Scenes of the initial raid on the Geck house are shown via a hand-held camera. Calgary setting is appropriately Anywhere, North America.

Fantasy Football cheat sheet

2009-08-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here is our fantasy football cheat sheet. Do you have trouble deciding who to start and who to keep on the bench? You can take help from the sheet to decide which player to take and which one to drop.

1.) Adrian Peterson (RB) — The consensus #1 pick, you can’t go wrong.

2.) Matt Forte (RB) — Look for Forte to top last year’s numbers with Jay Cutler keeping defenses honest. Forte’s receiving abilities with Cutler make him an even greater receiving threat than last season. Is due for at least 1,200 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards with 12 TDs.

3.) Maurice Jones-Drew (RB) — Now that Fred Taylor is gone, MJD’s role in the offense increases. You have to love his rushing and receiving combination and he’ll always deliver 10+ TDs.

4.) LaDainian Tomlinson (RB) — A lot of people are knocking him for the injuries, turning 30, and questioning whether he still has gas left in the tank. I think LaDainian still has it in him to have a very good season and he’s coming into this season with a lot to prove. 2006 numbers are out of question. Darren Sproles will take some carries away from him. He’s averaged 2.4 yards in 12 attempts in the preseason — not a great sign for fantasy owners. He should still post at least 1,100 rushing yards, 450 receiving yards, and 12 TDs.

5.) Michael Turner (RB) — If you picked him up late, you probably won your fantasy league. Had 1,700 yards and 18 TDs — that’s sick. The concern is whether he can repeat those type of numbers. He’s looked tremendous in the preseason averaging almost 10 yards per carry. However, he’s facing much tougher defenses this season and doesn’t have the luxury of facing the Lions and Chiefs.

6.) Steven Jackson (RB) — Injury concerns dropped him down a few spots, but he’s a workhorse on a team that lacks stars and endzone opportunities. Always has elite per-game yardage, but the TD numbers aren’t good enough for a higher pick. I don’t see him getting back to his 2006 numbers this year on a very bad team. If he can play a full 16 games (he’s only played 12 in the last two seasons), he’s due for over 1,700 combined yards and 10 TDs.

7.) DeAngelo Williams (RB) — 1,500 yards and 18 TDs was unprecedented last year despite splitting carries with Jonathan Stewart. Stewart is sidelined with an Achilles injury, which means DeAngelo will have a bigger workload this season. However, he lacks the receiving yardage to really woo me.

8.) Larry Fitzgerald (WR) — I was debating whether to go with Randy Moss or Larry Fitzgerald as my #1 fantasy WR. I went with Fitzgerald, who is entering his prime at the ripe age of 26. He’s more consistent, just as good a red-zone threat, and Tom Brady’s injury is a good enough of a reason to pull the trigger on Fitzgerald ahead of Randy Moss. If you’re still not convinced that Fitzgerald is the pick, look at his post-season numbers. I’m anticipating 1,500 yards and 12-15 TDs.

9.) Randy Moss (WR) — Still had over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs without Brady. With Brady healthy, is another 23 TD season possible? I’ll predict that Randy Moss ends up with 14-16 TDs. I expect Belichick to be more conservative by keeping Brady’s knee in mind. Remember, he’s not going to run up the score like he did in 2007 due to the “Spygate” situation.

Blow a kiss, take a bow, everything’s Cumming up roses

2009-08-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

In the bar of the Vaudeville theatre on the Strand, Alan Cumming’s BlackBerry buzzes and the caller’s name flashes up — Sue Gorgeous. It’d be nice to imagine that Sue was, say, an auxiliary nurse from Bathgate. But given that she’s calling Cumming — one of the most flamboyant artistes on earth, a pre-eminent show pony in the gymkhana of modern celebrity — the likelihood is that Sue is the stylist who weaves peacock feathers into Cher’s hair.

The actor answers and says he’s unable to talk because he’s having his picture taken. By dint of sheer probability, Sue should have known this. Cumming is always having his picture taken. Usually at film premieres or Broadway first nights or at the kind of political rallies beloved of American liberal celebrities, a huddled mass that Cumming has striven to join. Or because he’s launching his own perfume or receiving an OBE or promoting his novel.

On this occasion, though, Cumming is having his photograph taken because he is promoting I Bought a Blue Car Today, a one-man pot-pourri of show tunes, numbers from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and melodramatic pop songs originally recorded by the likes of Cyndi Lauper, spangled with anecdotage from his life before the lens.

For Cumming it represents his and-this-is-me moment, the distillation of all the technique and chutzpah that took him from guest parts on Taggart and Take the High Road to a Tony for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret. Just don’t mention the show’s soundtrack album, to be released next month: “It feels very odd to be a 44-year-old man saying, ‘Oh, my new album is coming out’. I’m way too old to have an album coming out.”

Equally thorny could be Cumming’s forthcoming role as the voice of Hitler in the animated feature Jackboots on Whitehall, also starring Ewan McGregor. The film described as a British response to the satire Team America: World Police. Faced with a Nazi invasion of Britain, a gang of Scottish villagers march south to send the Fuhrer back over the Channel. “It’s very funny. I play Hitler and I also play Braveheart in a sort of Scottish-Australian accent,” he says. “I’m embodied by an Action Man, which is obviously very appropriate.”

Ten years ago Cumming was famously described as “a frolicky pansexual sex symbol for the new millennium”, a description that struggled to accommodate the full, frisky reality of the actor.

His relocation to New York saw Cumming blossom from mildly campy lampooner of Scottish gentility — via the Victor and Barry double act with Forbes Masson and the pair’s BBC airline sitcom The High Life — into a character with a starker commitment to sexuality and its politics. He split from his wife, actress Hilary Lyon, declared himself bisexual and became a poster boy for those on the wilder shores of the sexual mainstream.

He achieved this through campaigning for sexual health and his theatrical work. Performances in Bent, Cabaret and as Dionysius in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of The Bacchae were hardly targeted at coach parties.

All in all, then, just your average National Trust for Scotland (NTS) celebrity ambassador. Correction, the trust’s first celebrity ambassador. “I grew up in the countryside on an estate and NTS was something that real country people, the ones who lived in that kind of feudal environment, saw as a force for good,” he says. “Because I grew up among it, I didn’t realise until I was much older what a great and crucial job they do.”

His Cumming of age, as it were — is seen also in his acceptance of the OBE, although the ceremony has yet to take place. Here he adopts the standard line, that he’s doing it principally to thrill Mary, his mother, who still lives in his native Perthshire. “She phones up and asks, ‘Alan, have we heard anything from Buck House yet?’,” he says.

It’s in America that Cumming realises himself most fully, he says, where he can spin out most gloriously the kaleidoscopes of his sexual and show-business identities.

Proof, he says, comes in the existence of Team Alan, the coterie of his former assistants, five or six he thinks, who still attend Cumming’s dentist in Manhattan. “That’s how I keep in touch with my life. I go to the dentist and hear what’s happening with everyone. And all because I had to pay for their health insurance.”

He “married” the graphic designer Grant Shaffer in London in 2007. Another of his sidelines is writing in the American press on gay issues, about which he has typically unorthodox views. The couple announced at one stage their plan to adopt a child, a scheme Cumming has now abandoned.

“We just realised we like our lives the way they are,” he says. “But I do think people should adopt more, not just gay people,” Cumming adds. “I find people’s fanaticism for the fruit of their loins a bit weird. Take Madonna. I think it’s great that she’s doing what she does in Africa.”

For the past year, however, the principal focus of his life has been achieving American citizenship, which he finally did last November. “It’s dual citizenship, actually. It’s not like I resigned from Britain.”

The title of his show and album is a recognition of the centrality of the event in his life. I Bought a Blue Car Today was a phrase he was obliged to pen in his citizenship test to show he had mastered the language.

“Initially I thought, aw, this is so sweet, I’ll always remember this little blue car that I supposedly bought,” he says. “Then I thought, how awful, my first act as an American was to write about a gas- guzzling icon of consumerism.”

American citizenship was crucial to him, he says, because he wanted to vote for Barack Obama. As things turned out the paperwork wasn’t completed until three days after the presidential election. “I applied straight after Obama said he’d run but the immigration process is much slower than it used to be,” he says. “That was my intention, that’s what I wanted, it didn’t happen. But, what the hell, I’m glad I’ll be a part of the political process in the future. That’s how galvanising and inspiring Obama has been to some of us. I can’t quite believe that America got its act together.”

He wasn’t in New York long enough after the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to get much sense of how his original nationality is playing in the land of his adopted one. “I don’t think any of my friends are vilifying Scotland because of this. And you can’t choose who you are going to be compassionate to. We can’t say to Megrahi, ‘You can’t get out because you were nastier than this other person’.”

Cumming, though, would be the first to admit that politics isn’t really his thing, not unless it’s gay politics. “I remember when Sarah Palin claimed she’d been to Ireland because the plane had made a fuel stop there. And all I could think was, that’s like Elvis Presley landing at Prestwick. So I’m hoping to be that rare thing, an American with some curiosity in the outside world.”

I Bought a Blue Car Today is on at the Vaudeville theatre in London from September 1 to 6. The album is released on September 2

The Big Gigs: Our critics' music picks

2009-08-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

STATE FAIR

Jason Aldean comes from Macon, Ga., home of Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers and Young Jeezy. Aldean is the eclectic music town's country star, thanks to the hits "Hicktown," "She's Country" and "Big Green Tractor." Like Travis Tritt, he likes to put a little drive in his country. Eli Young Band opens. (7:30 p.m. today, grandstand, $29.) (J.B.)

Whether or not you know the difference between Cajun and zydeco music, it doesn't really matter in the case of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, who blend Louisiana's two homegrown genres boldly and beautifully -- and are the kind of party band that will entertain those who don't know much about either. Highly recommended. (3:30 & 4:30 p.m. today, Leinie's Lodge Bandshell. Free.) (C.R.)

Pop star Kelly Clarkson's fourth album, "All I Ever Wanted," has turned out to be a charm. The smash singles "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Don't Hook Up" have returned the luster to the career of the first "American Idol." Opening is Eric Hutchinson, who is making noise with "Rock and Roll." (7:30 p.m. Sun. grandstand, $35.) (J.B.)

Not to be confused with the omnipresent touring version of the Wailers led by Bob Marley's longtime bassist Aston (Family Man) Barrett, the Original Wailers are another group of former Marley bandmates, including guitarists Junior Marvin and Al Anderson and organist Earl (Wya) Lindo. They play all the classics, with Anderson and Marvin handling most of the vocals. (8:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Leinie Lodge Bandshell. Free.) (C.R.)

An evening with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne promises his classics, including "Running on Empty," as well as the political, especially material from last year's "Time the Conqueror." (8 p.m. Mon., grandstand, $38.) (J.B.)

Watch UFC 102 Live Stream Free

2009-08-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

UFC 102 Live Stream Online.The battle of two former champions will be the main fight of this UFC 102 which will be unfolding in our eyes on August 29, 2009. Randy Couture will prove to the world that he is still better than Antonion Rodrigo Nogueira in this installment of UFC 102 Live Stream. Both of the fighters were defeatd in the previous fights.

UFC 102 Live Stream Online will be the hottest search terms in the internet as the event will be live via PPV on August 29, 2009 (10PM ET / 7PM PT) at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.

UFC 102 Live stream or UFC 102 Live Pay Per View? In our experience, it is just very advantageous to watch the UFC 102 Live through Payperview because of the assurance that you will have it while if you are seeking for the UFC 102 Live Stream Online, it will be like chaff in the wind sometimes because there’s no stream at all. Why risk yourself in watching UFC 102 Live Stream if you can order it in Payperview basis.

Main Card
Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva
Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia
Brandon Vera vs Krystof Sosynski
Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt

Preliminary Card
Ed Herman vs Aaron Simpson
Gabriel Gonzaga vs Chris Tuchscherer
Justin McCully vs Mike Russow
Tim Hague vs Todd Duffee
Nick Catone vs Mark Muñoz
Marcus Aurelio vs Evan Dunham

Celebrity Disc Jockey 'DJ AM' Found Dead in New York Apartment

2009-08-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Celebrity disc jockey Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, reportedly was found dead in his New York City apartment at around 5:20 p.m. Friday.

Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, TMZ reported.

Goldstein, 36, was a DJ for hire who performed at Hollywood's most exclusive parties. He was also known for relationships with Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore.

One of Goldstein's friends reportedly went to check on the deejay, but did not get a response after repeated knocks on the apartment door. The friend then called the police, who broke down the door of Goldstein's apartment and found his body, TMZ reported.

A close friend told FOXNews.com that Goldstien lived a sober life.

"Adam never did drugs before this, and he didn't even drink," the friend told FOXNews.com. "He didn't like forming an attachment to substances. He never wanted to be out of control and he took his work too seriously to party. ... Friends are absolutely shocked. If its true this was totally not in his nature. One friend just saw him this week and said he seemed pretty normal."

Celebrity disc jockey Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, reportedly was found dead in his New York City apartment at around 5:20 p.m. Friday.

Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, TMZ reported.

Goldstein, 36, was a DJ for hire who performed at Hollywood's most exclusive parties. He was also known for relationships with Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore.

A close friend told FOXNews.com that Goldstien lived a sober life.

La Cañada fire spreads toward Altadena; Big Tujunga Canyon Road closed

2009-08-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles County today as firefighters continued to battle an out-of-control brush fire in the La Cañada Flintridge area that was spreading toward Altadena. On the western flank of the fire, Big Tujunga Canyon Road has been closed.

The Station fire in Angeles National Forest was burning near homes on the north side of La Cañada Flintridge. The fire spread southeast overnight, jumping Highway 2 and into the Arroyo Seco area. Fire officials were concerned about homes along Starlight Crest Drive, which runs just east of Highway 2 and is adjacent to a watershed park.The blaze had burned at least 1,500 acres and was 10% contained.

The fire today has moved farther southeast, toward the western edge of Altadena, though officials said no evacuations have been ordered yet in that community, and has spread to the northwest in the forest.

"It's growing," said Dianne Cahir, spokeswoman for Angeles National Forest.

On Starlight Crescent Drive, the southern border of the voluntary evacuation zone in La Cañada Flintridge, helicopters could be seen picking up water from a pond at La Cañada Country Club, flying across a gully and dumping it on flames spreading across a nearby ridge. A few dozen residents pressed against the country club fence to take pictures and wondered aloud whether firefighters would get the blaze under control soon.

Nabila Idroos, 60, a stay-at-home mom, stood near the fence with a towel pressed to her face next to her car packed with valuables — passports, jewelry, insurance documents, laptops and the Koran. She and her husband, a doctor, raised their children in the neighborhood.

“How much can you take when you live in a home for 20 years?” Idroos said. “Hopefully no structures get destroyed. That’s all I’m praying for. Things can get replaced, but not lives.”

Idroos said she lives on nearby Greenwood Street, an area under voluntary evacuation. She said she left home with her husband briefly last night and stopped by La Cañada High School, but returned a few hours later.

“We’ve been here 20 years and I’ve never seen something like this,” Idroos said.

Though several fires were burning in the area, air quality throughout much of the Los Angeles Basin and the San Gabriel Valley was slightly better this morning than in recent days. However, officials said it could get worse later in the day. A smoke advisory was issued for areas near the fires.

“We’re only showing good and moderate air quality, which is somewhat of a surprise,” Sam Atwood, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said just before 10 a.m. “I think it’s gotten a little bit better because a lot of the smoke has just dispersed upward aloft, and we’re not seeing a whole lot of smoke at the ground level except for the areas close to the active fires."

A fire on the Palos Verdes Peninsula was 70% contained, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said, after helicopters continued to drop water. The fire burned at least 100 acres and damaged six homes, but no one was injured. Evacuation orders have been lifted.

The Red Cross opened an evacuation center Thursday in the gym of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. A handful of residents streamed in shortly before midnight, chatting in the parking lot and crowding around a television set tuned to the local news.

"I'm sick," said Mary Lopes, who has lived in the Del Cerro neighborhood for 21 years. Her husband is out of town and she evacuated when sheriff's deputies came through her neighborhood about 9:30 p.m. urging residents to leave on their loudspeakers. "It was scary."

She packed some family pictures and computer equipment.

She said she has seen the neighborhood survive many fires, but is especially worried about this one. "It just feels like it could come," she said. "It's more frightening."

Olga and Bob Jones, who have lived in the same neighborhood for 29 years, evacuated with their three dogs. A glowing red cloud of smoke and flames rose over the area as they left their home Thursday evening.

"I think it's going to be OK," Olga Jones said. "The firefighters are doing their job. They're just wonderful."

The Terranea Resort, a luxury hotel perched on a coastal bluff that opened in June and whose rooms usually go for $264 a night, provided free lodging for evacuees and their pets. "We made the decision as soon as we saw the situation on the news," spokeswoman Wendy Haase said.

Six families had checked in by 12:30 a.m. and more streamed in clutching dogs. Bellboys offered snacks for the pets.

Bernice and Michael Green and their labradoodle Amber were initially going to spend the night at the evacuation center at Palos Verdes Peninsula High, until they heard that there were free rooms at the resort. "It's got to more comfortable than sleeping on a cot," Bernice Green said.

The couple was walking their dog in the evening when they heard about the fire.

Officials told than around 9 p.m. that there was a little smoldering; they were ordered to evacuate their Amber Sky Drive home a short while later. She was optimistic that firefighters would gain the upper hand on the blaze. "They were very confident they would have it under control and contain it," she said. "That makes me feel very comfortable."

She recalled the community had a big party for firefighters after the last major wildfire in the area three years ago. "We just really admire them," she said.

Fire crews were making headway against the fourth fire, called the Morris fire because it began in the area of Morris Dam north of Azusa and Glendora.

The fire, which started Tuesday, had consumed 1,700 acres and was 45% contained by Thursday evening.

Phillip Garrido arrested for abduction and rape of Jaycee Dugard after imprisoning her for 18 years

2009-08-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Phillip Garrido, a convicted sex offender living in Antioch, California, was arrested for the abduction and rape of Jaycee Dugard after imprisoning her for 18 years. Dugard was abducted 18 years ago when she was 11 years old. She was forced into a car at a school bus stop in South Lake Tahoe, and has been missing ever since.

Garrido, the owner of a printing business, was on federal parole for a 1971 rape and kidnapping. Apparently he has kept Jaycee Dugard a prisoner in tents and sheds in his back yard since 1991. While she was his prisoner, he also fathered two children with her. The children, now ages 11 and 15, were living in the back yard compound with their mother. The children have never been to school or seen a medical doctor.

In addition to being charged with Dugard's abduction, Garrido has been charged with rape, acts of child molestation, and sexual penetration of a minor. Based on the ages of the children Garrido fathered by Dugard, he was raping her as young as age 13 and most likely even sooner.

Garrido came to the attention of law enforcement when he was passing out religious pamphlets at University of California, Berkeley. The following day, Garrido was called into his probation officer's office. When Garrido came to the probation office, he brought his wife Nancy with him. He also brought Jaycee Dugard and her two children.

During the course of the meeting, Dugard's identity was revealed. Both Garrido and his wife are now in custody. Dugard has now been reunited with her mother, Terry Probyn.

Garrido claimed in a telephone interview rom his jail cell with KCRA-NBC that "in the end, this is going to be a powerful, heartwarming story." Garrido is reported to have recently become a religious fanatic, believing that God speaks to him through a box and that he can speak to people through their minds. In April of 2008 he registered a corporation called God's Desire.

Jaycee Lee Dugard pictures, photos, and slideshow

2009-08-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

Jaycee Lee Dugard was found after being kidnapped for 18 years. Today, she has been reunited with her mother and is staying in a motel in Antioch, California. Although no one has seen current pictures of Jaycee Lee Dugard, the nation waits anxiously. Her photo had been age progressed using technology currently available. In addition to viewing pictures and photos of Jaycee Lee Dugard, her current photo, compared to the age progression picture could prove enlightening for other missing children cases. The picture of Jaycee Dugard as a child was used by many missing children organizations. Her face, though we haven’t seen how she has aged, has already been familiar to many.

Jaycee Dugard has two children, ages 11 and 15 that were born to her captor, registered sex offender, Phillip Garrido. Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy Garrido are expected to be formally charged in the case tomorrow. Jaycee went by the name ‘Alissa’ while she was being held captive and was forced to live in a shed that was secluded in the back of the Garrido home. One of the prevailing questions as this case unfolds is how was a registered sex offender able to live under the radar for 18 years with a child he kidnapped, and then father two children with her. Though the world anxiously awaits to hear Jaycee Dugard’s story or to hear her speak, it is imperative that she receives the medical and psychological attention needed. It might be years before Jaycee Dugard is ready to speak to the media.

Neighbors, however, have been speaking with the media, and present a picture of an insane, eccentric, and highly irrational member of their community: Phillip Garrido. One neighbor even called the local sheriff’s office, according to a report on CNN, after witnessing the children living in the backyard. The report states that the authorities were called to the home, spoke with Phillip Garrido, but left without investigating the home. There is no doubt that many legal entities are going to be held accountable in this case. Since Garrido was a registered sex offender and not a sexual predator, he was able to get away with more lenient monitoring than he would have otherwise. Sexual offender laws vary from state, and within California, more monitoring was not legally required. This case could possibly prove valuable to changing sexual offender laws in the state of California.

Jaycee Lee Dugard, girl found after 18 years, 'bonded' with accused kidnapper Phillip Garrido

2009-08-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

The California girl who was rescued after 18 years in captivity "bonded" with her kidnapper to survive, her stepdad said Friday.

Jaycee Lee Dugard "didn't try to get away," Carl Probyn said on NBC's Today show. "And it probably kept her alive. If she would have been really spunky and fight and tried to escape, maybe she would have been killed."

Jaycee, who was kidnapped from in front of her South Lake Tahoe home in 1991, had two kids with her accused abductor, a religious fanatic and convicted sex offender named Phillip Garrido.

Probyn said his step-daughter, whom he described as a "mellow girl" when she was kidnapped at age 11, appears to be physically fine.

"My wife said she looks almost like she was when she was kidnapped," he said.

But Jaycee, who is now 29, has been damaged by the ordeal.

"My wife says that Jaycee is really feeling guilty for bonding with this guy," Probyn said. "So she's really having a problem with that."

Ed Smart, whose daughter Elizabeth was rescued in 2002 after nine months in the clutches of yet another religious nut, said he doesn't believe Jaycee bonded with Garrido.

He conceded, however, that Jaycee's giving birth to two daughters by Garrido "complicates it more because certainly she had concern for her children."

"I think that in many cases, these children do try to escape, and after numerous attempts they feel it's hopeless, and so they try to survive," Smart said on CBS's The Early Show. "And that's not necessarily bonding with these monsters."

Jaycee was reunited with her parents on Thursday night after cops arrested Garrido, 58. They said the convicted rapist kept Jaycee hidden in a "secret backyard" and that one of the two children he fathered was the same age as the victim was when she vanished.

Garrido and his wife, Nancy, were being held on $1 million bail each. He was expected to be officially charged Friday with rape and kidnapping. She faces conspiracy charges.

Cops say Nancy Garrido was with her husband when they snatched Jaycee on June 10, 1991, as she was walking to her school bus stop.

In their first conversation Wednesday night, Jayce gave her mother a double jolt, Probyn said.

"I have something to tell you. I have babies," Jaycee told Terry Probyn, 50, who asked how many.

"Two," she replied.

"I gave up hope for 18 years, just went into recovery mode," said Carl Probyn, who witnessed the abduction but was too far away to stop it. "Now, I just won the lotto. It's just unbelievable."

Probyn said his estranged wife called him soon after getting word from the FBI that Jaycee was safe and healthy.
"She said, 'They found Jaycee. She's alive,'" said Carl Probyn, 60, who now lives in Riverside in Southern California. "We cried for about two minutes."

CBS News correspondent Cami McCormick injured in Afghanistan [Updated]

2009-08-28T17:43:00.001-07:00

CBS News correspondent Cami McCormick was seriously injured by a roadside bomb today in Logar province, Afghanistan, as she traveled with the U.S. Army on assignment for CBS Radio News, the network said.

New York-based McCormick was hurt when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device. She underwent surgery at a field hospital and was transported to Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul, for additional treatment. The network did not release details about the extent of her injuries.

McCormick, 47, has worked for CBS Radio News for 11 years, making frequent reporting trips to Afghanistan and Iraq. She has been in Afghanistan since Aug. 13 covering the recent presidential election and the ongoing violence in the region. Before joining CBS, McCormick worked at CNN, where she reported extensively on the Middle East.

[Updated at 1:56 p.m.: The injuries sustained by McCormick come the same day that an American soldier was killed by a bomb in eastern Afghanistan, making August the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began eight years ago. A total of 45 American troops have died there this month.]

John Krasinski Engages Emily Blunt!

2009-08-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Talk about life imitating art.

There must be something in the water over at The Office because not only are Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly finally tying the knot, Jenna Fischer is also prepping to walk down the aisle for a second time. And to top it all off, John Krasinski is also gearing up to swap vows with his ladylove, Emily Blunt.

Reps for the superprivate pair tell E! News: "We can confirm that John and Emily are engaged."

The couple began dating in November 2008 and have kept much of their romance under wraps, arriving separately to awards shows and spending down-low downtime together in Los Angeles.

Before finding each other, The Devil Wears Prada star dated crooner Michael Bublé for three years, while Krasinski was linked to former Office costar Rashida Jones.

All right, Dunder Mifflin, who's next? If Ryan and Kelly hook up again, are we going to hear about Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak engagements, too? We can only hope...

Mayim Bialik aka "Blossom": Celebrity "poster mom" for attachment parenting

2009-08-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Attachment Parenting finally has a celebrity spokesperson!

Mayim Bialik, star of the hit 90's TV series "Blossom," has talked openly about her "strange" parenting practices. While many celebrities give a nod to breastfeeding, Bialik has made a true commitment to the attachment parenting lifestyle. She says she has researched her approach to parenting and chosen what she believes is best for her family. And research is something Bialik, or I should say Dr. Bialik, knows something about. She has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA.

So what is it that Dr. Bialik has decided is best for her family? She practices extended breastfeeding (she nursed her oldest son until he was 2), babywearing and elimination communication. She is a huge proponent of home birth and her second son was born at home. They all share a family bed. Though her oldest son is only 3.5, they are part of a homeschooling community and are considering that a viable option for later schooling.

The great thing about Dr. Bialik is that she has a wonderful way of presenting this lifestyle in a way that the mainstream media doesn't see as "weird." Watch a wonderful interview with her here.

Mario Kart: The Movie Trailer Races Around the Internets [VIDEO]

2009-08-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Who’s that climbing up the YouTube() charts? It’s-a-Mario!

A trailer for the allegedly forthcoming fan-made live-action film based on Nintendo’s classic Mario Kart franchise is making the rounds on YouTube and Twitter(). Featuring hastily-applied facial hair and a few memorable wigs, the trailer tells the secret and shocking tale of Mario’s past life.

A production of comedy troupe DrCoolSex, the film counters the myth that Mario lacks narrative appeal. We find out that plumbing was actually the mustachioed man’s second career after racing, a sport he is called back “to race one more time” in order to avenge the death of his brother Luigi.

Check out the video below with a bonus video of Mario Kart In Real Life after. Let us know what you think — is the Mario Kart Movie destined to be a blockbuster hit?

More on Elimination Communication: Infant Potty Training

2009-08-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

Elimination Communication is the early infant potty training method that allows babies to go diaper-free. Working moms, which most single moms are, may have trouble going completely diaper-free as they aren't home with the baby all the time.

Part-time Diaper Free allows you to do elimination communication, while using diapers as a back-up. "You will gradually use less diapers - in a natural transition from full-time diapers to .. no more diapers when they become inconvenient. (Yes, that happen!)"

The site encourages you to just start by using one less diaper a day. They also encourage the use of sign language to help your infant communicate with you. Sing language is an incredible way to communicate with your infant for everything, not just for potty training.

Amanda Tannen

2009-08-27T15:23:00.001-07:00

Amanda Tannen is the bassist with the band Stellastar. Or as they style themselves, Stellastar*.

The * after the Stellastar seems to be, or at least they say it is, a way of making their band name more like that of a band, or of an object. This particular reporter's suspicious mind thinks that it might be more to do with copyright and trademark law. The band name "Insync" was not possible to trademark, after all, it being a natural word in the language, but "N'Sync" was indeed trademarked.

All of this cynicism is simply engendered by the fact that Stellastar* (don't forget the *!) are back in the news as a result of their being part of the Summerfest in Columbus Ohio.

Or maybe is just because their third album has come out recently. They've parted company with RCA and set up their own label, "Bloated Wife" to distribute it. It's always difficult to know whether these "partings of the creative ways" are because a band really does wish to part company or because the record company does.

And as for that *? Why not let Amanda Tannen tell us what it's really about?

Well, yes, we do. We all have different answers. There’s not really one good answer or one “real” answer. The asterisk was more or less about branding ourselves and coming up with something creative. We just wanted our name to stand out and be recognizable.

Yup, branding.

Madonna booed in Bucharest for defending Gypsies

2009-08-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

BUCHAREST, Romania — At first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers sharing a stage with Madonna. Then the pop star condemned widespread discrimination against Roma, or Gypsies — and the cheers gave way to jeers.

The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000, who had packed a park for Wednesday night's concert, underscores how prejudice against Gypsies remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe.

Despite long-standing efforts to stamp out rampant bias, human rights advocates say Roma probably suffer more humiliation and endure more discrimination than any other people group on the continent.

Sometimes, it can be deadly: In neighboring Hungary, six Roma have been killed and several wounded in a recent series of apparently racially motivated attacks targeting small countryside villages predominantly settled by Gypsies.

"There is generally widespread resentment against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. They have historically been the underdog," Radu Motoc, an official with the Soros Foundation Romania, said Thursday.

Roma, or Gypsies, are a nomadic ethnic group believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent. They live mostly in southern and eastern Europe, but hundreds of thousands have migrated west over the past few decades in search of jobs and better living conditions.

Romania has the largest number of Roma in the region. Some say the population could be as high as 2 million, although official data put it at 500,000.

Until the 19th century, Romanian Gypsies were slaves, and they've gotten a mixed response ever since: While discrimination is widespread, many East Europeans are enthusiastic about Gypsy music and dance, which they embrace as part of the region's cultural heritage.

That explains why the Roma musicians and a dancer who had briefly joined Madonna onstage got enthusiastic applause. And it also may explain why some in the crowd turned on Madonna when she paused during the two-hour show — a stop on her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour — to touch on their plight.

"It has been brought to my attention ... that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe," she said. "It made me feel very sad."

Thousands booed and jeered her.

A few cheered when she added: "We don't believe in discrimination ... we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone." But she got more boos when she mentioned discrimination against homosexuals and others.

"I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?" said Ionut Dinu, 23.

Madonna did not react and carried on with her concert, held near the hulking palace of the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Madonna and other had told her there were cheers as well as jeers.

"Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt compelled to make a brief statement," Rosenberg said in an e-mail. "She will not be issuing a further statement."

One Roma musician said the attitude toward Gypsies is contradictory.

"Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy concerts," said Damian Draghici, a Grammy Award-winner who has performed with James Brown and Joe Cocker.

"But there has been a wave of aggression against Roma people in Italy, Hungary and Romania, which shows me something is not OK," he told the AP in an interview. "The politicians have to do something about it. People have to be educated not to be prejudiced. All people are equal, and that is the message politicians must give."

Nearly one in two of Europe's estimated 12 million Roma claimed to have suffered an act of discrimination over the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the Vienna-based EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The group says Roma face "overt discrimination" in housing, health care and education.

Many do not have official identification, which means they cannot get social benefits, are undereducated and struggle to find decent jobs.

Roma children are more likely to drop out of school than their peers from other ethnic groups. Many Romanians label Gypsies as thieves, and many are outraged by those who beg or commit petty crimes in Western Europe, believing they spoil Romania's image abroad.

In May 2007, Romanian President Traian Basescu was heard to call a Romanian journalist a "stinky Gypsy" during a conversation with his wife. Romania's anti-discrimination board criticized Basescu, who later apologized.

Human rights activists say the attacks in Hungary, which began in July 2008, may be tied to that country's economic crisis and the rising popularity of far-right vigilantes angered by a rash of petty thefts and other so-called "Gypsy crime." Last week, police arrested four suspects in a nightclub in the eastern city of Debrecen.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also have been criticized for widespread bias against Roma.

Madonna's outrage touched a nerve in Romania, but it seems doubtful it will change anything, said the Soros Foundation's Motoc.

"Madonna is a pop star. She is not an expert on interethnic relations," he said.

AP Writers Alison Mutler in Bucharest, William J. Kole in Vienna and Nekesa Mumbi Moody in New York contributed to this report.

Pre-weekend round up of social trends in music: Lynne Koplitz and Stellastarr bassist Amanda Tannen

2009-08-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

If you are a Facebook, Twitter or other social networking user you may have noticed several trends and are wondering who or what they relate to. We just talked about how social trends can be used to track and predict diseases. Well they can also be used to see who is hot and who is not!

For our weekened round up we take a few of those trends and dig a bit deeper than 140 characters.

1. Lynne Koplitz is one young lady who is very much in the news. And why is she hot ? Well one of the reasons is that she stars in the IFC show “ZRock” that premiered this week. She has just finished shooting the first 10 episodes of the show. According to the website of the show, it is about the lives and careers of a rock band in NYC looking to make it big. Lynne stars as “Dina”, the band’s manager who’ll do just about anything to see them succeed. (“ZRock” is loosely based on the real life band “Z02” from Brooklyn) It is all about the music business and what it takes to become a star. “ZRock” is on Sundays @ 11:30pm on IFC

2. Amanda Tannen is the Stellastarr* bassist - and Stellastarr* is a new wave/pop/punk band based in New York. Their MySpace account is here and they are stellstarrband on Twitter. (If the name sounds familiar, its because Amanda Tanen is a character in the series Ugly Betty, played by Becki Newton but she is not trending, Amanda Tannen is). In a recent interview, Amanda described her role in the band:

In a recent Comfortcones review, the reviewer said, "After listening to Civilized, the 3rd studio release from NYC-based quartet Stellastarr*, I might just be one of their many converts.Released nine years after the band's formation, Stellastarr*’s Civilized is nothing short of a fascinatingly solid and exciting rock album with unorthodox tracks such as the sparse ‘Robot’ as well as more classic rock tunes ‘Numbers’ and ‘Warchild’ among others. The follow-up to Harmonies for the Haunted (2005) and their debut Stellastarr* (2003), the band has once again recorded an album that will surely please their growing fan base worldwide. With a total of ten tracks, Civilized is a cleverly compiled musical amusement park with a ride for everyone". High praise indeed. Check them out yourself on the band's MySpace web page

Jaycee Lee Dugard: Kidnapper Phillip Garrido has blog ‘Voices Revealed’ watch press conference live

2009-08-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Jaycee Lee Dugard stunned the nation when she walked into a Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department in California and revealed her true identity. Now, two people (Phillip Garrido, alleged kidnapper of Jaycee Lee Dugard, and Phillip’s wife, Nancy) are being held in connection with her kidnapping. Full details will be released at 3:00 p.m. CT and 6:00 p.m. ET, when the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department holds a press conference, but already, information has surfaced regarding Jaycee Lee Dugard’s alleged kidnapper, and the information is frightening.

Phillip Garrido operates a blog titled “Voices Revealed” located here: Voices Revealed: Blog by Phillip Garrido his last entry was posted on Friday, August 14, 2009. In addition to his blog, Garrido operated a ‘home church’ where he espoused his ranting doctrines.

The first post from Garrido’s blog reads, “During the month of July 2009 JM's Enterprises, 1215 Willow Pass Road * Pittsburg CA,(925) 439-8118 was the host to a powerful demonstration, the Creator has given me the ability to speak in the tongue of angels in order to provide a wake-up call that will in time include the salvation of the entire world.

You too can witness what the world believe's is impossible to produce! email: godsdesire@rocketmail.com. DON'T MISS OUT!”

Another post is titled, “The U.S. Federal Government is not the source of Mind Control.” Further on in his bible he twists Scriptures to purport his view of what he calls “Cultural Trance.”

Both Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy are being held on 1,000,000 bond in Martinez. The couple are being held on suspicion of rape by force, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, sexual penetration, and kidnapping. Garrido's wife faces conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Phillip Garrido is a registered sex offender and you can see his listing here: Phillip Garrido Registered Sex Offender

The Case of Jaycee Lee Dugard

2009-08-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

According to Charleyproject.org:

charleyproject.org/cases/d/dugard_jaycee.html

Click the link, and the read the case in its entirety. I would have posted the case summary here, but the administrator of Charleyproject.org placed copy-and-paste protection on all of her filed. Needless to say, her case was loaded with twists and turns long before the events of yesterday.

Two suspects, James Anthony Daveggio and Michelle Lyn Michaud, are supsected in the disappearances of Amber Jean Swartz-Garcia (charleyproject.org/cases/s/swartzgarcia_amber.html), Micheala Joy Garecht (charleyproject.org/cases/g/garecht_michaela.html), and Ilene Beth Mishelhoff (charleyproject.org/cases/m/misheloff_ilene.html). However, an FBI-generated timelien of their whereabouts in the 1980's and 1990's made their involvement unlikely. On the other hand, if they are indeed the suspects in Dugard's case, I hope it brings resolution in the cases of Swartz-Garcia, Garect, and Mishelhoff.

I guess this goes to show that maintaining even the faintest glimmer of hope when your loved one goes missing, no matter how long they're missing for, isn't false hope. Anything can happen.

Ted Kennedy to be buried Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery

2009-08-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

The long-serving senator and Army veteran will be buried near his brother Robert, not far from the resting place of JFK, the Pentagon says.

Reporting from Washington - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will be buried Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery near his brothers, former President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the Pentagon said today.

Kennedy, 77, was not only an Army veteran, but also a 46-year member of the U.S. Senate, which accords him the right to be buried at the national cemetery in Virginia, across the Potomac River from the Capitol where he served.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who died late Tuesday following a yearlong battle with brain cancer, will be laid to rest near the grave of his brother Robert, who was assassinated in 1968 as he campaigned for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

That, in turn, is near and up a hill from the resting place of their older brother, the president, who was slain in Dallas in 1963. The former president is buried there near other members of his family, including the former first lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

The third of the Kennedy brothers to receive a burial with military honors at Arlington served in the Army from 1951 to 1953, stationed in Europe during the Korean War. He was a private first class in the military police for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, then located in Paris.

Kennedy's body will lie in repose at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston starting Thursday. A funeral Mass is planned Saturday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica -- the "Mission Church" -- in the city's Mission Hill neighborhood. The basilica is where Kennedy prayed daily while his daughter, Kara, successfully battled her own cancer.

After the Mass in Boston, Kennedy will be buried later that day at Arlington.

Arlington National Cemetery, site of the Tomb of the Unknowns, also is the burial ground for more than 300,000 people. It was created in 1864 on land once owned by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Some of the veterans of all the nation's wars rest there, with some from antebellum conflicts reinterred in 1900.

Morris fire, weather forecast mark beginning of Southland's hellish season

2009-08-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

A fire is burning out of control in the Angeles National Forest above Azusa. Smoke fills the L.A. Basin and has fanned out over the Pacific, visible as a reddish-brown haze on the horizon. A red-flag warning is in effect through Friday.

After an unseasonably cool August, the heat is on and so leap the flames as they devour dense, tinder-dry brush. Consider this, then, the beginning of the most hellish time of year in Southern California: the fire season, fueled by arsonists, searing heat and Santa Ana winds.

It's my least favorite period, even though I live at the beach and am not close to fire corridors, because I do get the smoke and have no air conditioner to insulate myself from the motionless, hot, eye-stinging, ash-laden air that hovers over the coast during these episodes.

This is when firefighters earn their salaries, and they are underpaid for what they go through. The Morris fire above the San Gabriel Valley is just the start, and so far it has included a forced evacuation of campers, the aerial rescue of an 18-member Boy Scout troop and voluntary evacuations at other campgrounds and a nearby mobile home park.

The end is not in sight. The fire was only 10% contained at last check, and the forecast calls for temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and low humidity. Before this fire is extinguished, another could easily spring up elsewhere.

To be sure, this is the time of year hikers, bikers, campers and anyone else entering the wilderness should exercise extreme caution and also keep eyes peeled for suspicious activity, because one less fire could save lives and property.

Here's hoping the Morris fire is the last major fire in the Southland. It's wishful thinking, I know.

Famed pop songwriter Ellie Greenwich dead at 68

2009-08-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn-born Eleanor Louise Greenwich, a Brill Building songwriter and producer perhaps best known for collaborations with Phil Spector on Wall of Sound powerhouses like the Ronettes “Be My Baby,” Ike & Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High,” and the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron,”passed away today in New York City.

Her ability to convey both the rapture and heartbreak of young love in music proved transcendant; the unbridled joy in the Crystals’ “Then He Kissed Me” and abject sadness in the Ronettes’ “I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine” come through as clearly today as they did forty years ago.

Alongside writing partner and husband Jeff Barry, Greenwich penned a stream of ’60s hits, including early rebel-girl classic “Leader of the Pack,” “Chapel of Love,” and “Do Wah Diddy,” and produced much of Neil Diamond’s early work (she is often credited with helping him get his start), including “Cherry Cherry” and “Kentucky Woman.”

Leader of the Pack, a play based on Greenwich’s life and songs, ran on Broadway in 1985, and earned a Tony nod for Best Musical; she also sang backing vocals for Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and on albums as diverse as Blondie’s Eat to the Beat and Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual.

Though she never achieved the type of marquee fame that she brought to other artists, she was an accomplished singer and performer in her own right. Listen below to “Sunshine After the Rain,” from her aptly-titled 1968 album Ellie Greenwich Composes, Produces & Sings:

Tropical Storm Danny update

2009-08-26T16:46:00.001-07:00

As of 11:00 a.m., the area of disturbed weather east of the Bahamas has officially become Tropical Storm Danny. Those located in the vicinity of the Bahamas to the southeastern parts of the United States should keep a close watch on the storm’s progression.

At 11:00 a.m. AST, the eye of Tropical Storm Danny was located approximately 445 miles east of Nassau and 775 miles south to southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Moving on a west-northwest track at a rate of 18 miles per hour, Tropical Storm Danny is expected to decrease in speed within the next 24-48 hours. Danny should then turn north to northwest by Friday, August 28, 2009.

Currently, maximum sustained winds associated with Tropical Storm Danny are at 45 miles per hour, with higher gusts associated with the system. It is possible that Danny could strengthen. A category 1 hurricane has wind speeds of at least 75 miles per hour. At this point, Danny is a tropical storm, not a Category 1 hurricane.

Tropical Danny’s minimum central pressure is estimated to be 29.80 inches. The system is expected to cause rainfall between 2 and 3 inches, with some areas receiving up to 4 inches. Rainfall is expected over the Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Tropical Danny arrives at what is beginning to be an active hurricane season. Previously, the tropics have been rather subdued, until the sudden forming of Tropical Storm Claudette, last week, the Atlantic saw the first named hurricane of the season, Bill. As we continue to monitor the progress and track of Tropical Storm Danny, we are keeping our eye on another system: Tropical Storm Ignacio.

Tropical Storm Ignacio is in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 905 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California. It is traveling at speeds near 14 miles per hour, and like Tropical Storm Danny has maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. However, Tropical Storm Ignacio is expected to decrease in strength and become a tropical depression. Tropical Storm Danny looks as if it is going to increase and might possibly become the second hurricane in the Atlantic this season: Hurricane Danny.

Alleged MJ Love Child Surfaces!

2009-08-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

As if there wasn't enough to figure out in the wake of Michael Jackson's death, a San Fran man is throwing his name into the circus -- claiming to be Michael Jackson's 24-year-old son!

According to a creditor's claim filed yesterday in L.A., a guy named Prince Michael Malachi Jet Jackson is requesting a DNA test to prove he is the biological son of the late King of Pop.

A birth certificate was submitted with the claim -- one which lists a "Michael Joseph Jackson" of Indiana as the father and Zerline LaVette Dixon as the mother. According to the claim, MJ's family pressured Prince Michael Malachi's family to keep quiet. Coincidentally, Prince Michael is the name of MJ's two "official" sons.

Dominick Dunne dead at age 83

2009-08-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

Dominick Dunne, author, Vanity Fair reporter and former Hollywood producer, died today at his New York City home at age 83, Vanity Fair has announced.

Dunne famously covered such trials as Claus von Bulow, the Menendez brothers and O.J. Simpson, and he hosted the program "Power, Privilege and Justice" on Court TV. He became a celebrity in his own right, causing many to question his motives in covering sensational cases. "O.J. Simpson improved my social position," he once told USA Today. From The Times' obituary:

Like Truman Capote, another social chronicler, Dunne often bit the well-manicured hands that fed him. A friend of Alfred and Betsy Bloomingdale of the department store fortune, he turned Alfred's relationship with his mistress, Vicki Morgan, into a roman a clef, "An Inconvenient Woman" (1990). Similarly, Dunne, who had been a guest at the 1950 wedding of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel, turned his theories about the culpability of Ethel's nephew, Michael Skakel, in a long-unsolved murder into another novel, "A Season in Purgatory" (1993). Skakel ultimately was tried and convicted. His cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., blamed Dunne for the conviction and told talk show host Larry King that the writer was "not a journalist. He's a gossip columnist."

If, as Capote said, all literature is gossip, Dunne was a believer. He loved to "dish," giving rumor equal time with news in his Vanity Fair reports. His story on the Edmond Safra murder, for instance, was an engrossing brew of fact and rank speculation as only Dunne could produce. He repeated hearsay and used unnamed sources liberally, such as a "well-connected woman once married to a prominent figure in the film world" or "a waiter serving me risotto" at a dinner party. Dunne had everyone whispering in his ear.

Graphic Film Tackles Texting while Driving

2009-08-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

(CBS) It's one of the most dangerous things you can do - texting while driving. There are laws against it in more than half the states. Studies show it can increase your chances of having an accident by four times. But people keep doing it. The message is not getting through. So in Britain, there's an effort to make the message a lot more dramatic, as CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports.

It's a 30-minute video with slick production made for showing in British high schools - made to demonstrate the distracting danger of texting on a cell phone while driving. It's also very deliberately made to shock. The film shows numerous violent car crashes. They're cinema - not real footage. But the images are so graphic and horrific that the film was labeled for 18-and-over only when an excerpt landed on YouTube last week.

Its writer and director - who cast his own son Henry in the video - makes no apologies. "Yes it is violent, but the reality of a fatal road accident is much more gruesome, is much more violent," said writer-director Peter Watkins Hughes. "My position on this is that if you are old enough to drive, if you are old enough to want to drive, you are old enough to be aware of the real and serious risks one places yourself in every time you get behind the wheel."

White people stole my car

2009-08-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

And in the category of "I absolutely do not get this," white people stole my car is currently the top searched term on google.

The problem is, it doesn't really lead to anything. There are no breaking news reports about white people stealing someone's car. No new rock, rap or hip-hop group by that name, no movie or CD release by that name and no video game by that name.

It is a prophecy? A self-fulfilling prophecy? "Officer, white people stole my car." "Uh, sir, you are white people." "Oh, yeah."

Maybe something will turn up that helps explain this or, if you know, could you enlighten me?

Danyl Johnson 'X Factor' Audition Video Goes Viral

2009-08-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

The video of Danyl Johnson performing the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends" on the British talent show "The X Factor" has gone viral. On Monday, the official clip on YouTube had registered about 600,000 views since the weekend. Twenty-four hours later, the count had doubled to almost 1.2 million.

On Saturday night's airing, judge Simon Cowell called Johnson's soulful cover "the best first audition I have ever heard." Johnson quickly shot to frontrunner status, raising questions about whether he'd become the next incarnation of Scottish chanteuse Susan Boyle, albeit one in cargo shorts who prefers classic rock to "Les Misérables."

In the days since his performance, the British press has been reporting exhaustively on Johnson's personal history, just as it did following Boyle's appearance on "Britain's Got Talent" in April. The 27-year-old is a schoolteacher from Reading, England, who has fallen short in other attempts to make it big as a singer. According to The Daily Mirror, he has been in two boy bands, Upfrunt and Streetlevel, but neither of them ever caught on. The paper also reported that Johnson performed on television with a rock band called Empty Spaces and has auditioned for "X Factor" three times.

The Daily Mail landed an interview with Johnson's estranged father, who said he had not spoken with his son for a year after a falling-out. Following the "X Factor" performance, though, Johnson's father sent Danyl a text message and received a response back.

"I was so proud when I saw Danyl on the television," he told the paper. "I did shed a tear as he was singing."

The audience and the judges were nearly as taken with his performance. "When we see a performance like that, it's the absolute perfect audition," judge Dannii Minogue said. "So exciting to be sitting here on this panel."

Jasmine Fiore Playboy Pics Sought as Murder Case Dominates Headlines

2009-08-20T11:27:00.002-07:00

Jasmine Fiore Playboy pics are a wildly popular search trend on the Net this morning and, to be sure, one of the primary reasons for this is that her husband, investment banker and former reality TV Contestant Ryan Jenkins is a "person of interest" in the case. Jasmine Fiore's nude body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a dumpster in Buena Park, California on Saturday. The beautiful model and dancer had been strangled to death. Given these sordid details, it should come as no surprise that the curious are hellbent on seeing any pictures of Jasmine Fiore, let alone Jasmine Fiore Playboy pics.

The tragic and senseless murder story of Jasmine Fiore started when Jenkins reported her missing to the police on Saturday. The two had last been seen together at a poker tournament in San Diego on Friday. The police theorize that Jenkins fled to his native Canada, and this theory has been given credence because a number of media outlets are reporting that eyewitnesses saw Jenkins arrive by boat in Bellingham, Washington, on Wednesday night, where he reportedly walked across the border into Canada.

According to TMZ, Jenkins has retained the services of a lawyer and says that he intends to fully cooperate with the police.

But TMZ is also reporting that Ryan Jenkins allegedly hit Jasmine Fiore a couple of months ago. According to TMZ, court documents filed in Clark County, Nevada indicate that Jenkins was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking Jasmine Fiore in the arm. As well, TMZ has filed a report claiming that Ryan Jenkins was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend in Canada back in 2005. His sentence included 15 months probation and psychological counseling.

So things are not looking good for Ryan Alexander Jenkins. His beautiful wife Jasmine Fiore was found strangled to death in a dumpster on Saturday and he is nowhere to be found. In addition, he allegedly has a history of violent behavior toward women.

Rob Zombie and Wife Sheri Moon Promote “Halloween II”

2009-08-20T11:27:00.001-07:00

Scraggly rocker Rob Zombie was spotted at Planet Hollywood in New York’s Times Square yesterday, with his gorgeous blond wife Sheri Moon Zombie. According to MTV News, the pair was promoting horror flick Halloween II, which Rob wrote and directed. (Strangely, there was already one Halloween II, which came out back in 1981…apparently there are only a few titles for horror movies.) Rob’s new sequel hits theaters next Friday, August 28.

FearNet reports that Rob and Sheri stopped by the restaurant to donate on of Michael Myers’ knives from the movie. They also gave away an autographed skull to one lucky fan.

Rob married dancer/model Sheri Moon in 2002, and subsequently cast her in all of his films. She’s five years younger than Rob, and it’s safe to say she’s the pretty one; she appeared in the December 2005 issue of Playboy and ranked #7 on Maxim’s “Hottest Women of Horror Movies” list. She also had a song on the House of 1000 Corpses soundtrack, and has a personal clothing line called “Total Skull.”

Though most know Rob as the lead singer of metal band White Zombie, lately he’s been focusing on writing and directing, starting with House of 1000 Corpses in 2003. He also did The Devil’s Rejects in 2003 and the first Halloween in 2007.

Zach Hyman Takes Nude Photos of Jocelyn Saldana on Subway

2009-08-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

It’s a new kind of subway flasher: baring it all for art. New York Photographer Zach Hyman, 22, has been known to take photos of nude models in Times Square and Chinatown, and The Huffington Post reports that now he’s trying the subway. He spends about 30 seconds and takes 10 shots of the models, his latest one being Jocelyn Saldana. Her photo for Zach’s Chair and Maiden Gallery showing is one of 14 images on display in a photography exhibition that opens tonight in New York.

Hyman insists that his photos are not pornography; he says that our nether regions are “one of the unifying aspects of being human.” Still, he always keeps bail money on hand, watches out for police and keeps his lawyer on speed-dial in case he gets arrested. The response from other subway riders varies; during a recent shoot, a woman screamed and an elderly man started shaking – but most people were apathetic. Just another crazy on the subway…

According to The New York Post, Alex Reisner, a 20 year-old Columbia student, is one of Zach’s models who stripped down on the street in Chinatown. When she jumped into the air and Zach took her picture, the crowd burst into applause. ”There was so much adrenaline,” she said. “I was bouncing around for the rest of the day. I told him I want to pose nude every weekend.”

Something tells me the men of New York would be okay with that.

Ryan Jenkins I Love Money

2009-08-20T11:24:00.001-07:00

New Delhi, Aug 20, 2009: Ryan Jenkins I Love Money fame lands safely in Canada. If reports are to be believed Megan Wants A Millionaire contestant Ryan Jenkins has safely landed in Canada despite a red corner issued by authorities in the US. The man had also won quarter million dollars in another TV show I love Money 3.

Today officials at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office in Washington revealed that Ryan Alexander Jenkins — a former VH1 reality television contestant who once battled for the love of golddigging butterface Megan Hauserman — has escaped to his native Canada as police in California pursue him for questioning in the death of his ex-wife.

Ryan Alexandra Jenkins, 32, was a contestant on the recently-cancelled VH1 show Megan Wants A Millionaire.

On Wednesday, the investment banker was identifed as a “person of interest” in the murder of Jasmine Fiore. The 28-year-old former model’s nude and strangled body was found stuffed into a suitcase and tossed in a trash bin in Buena Park, California last weekend.

Authorities found Jenkin’s missing BMW car and an empty boat trailer at a marina in Blaine, Washington. There have also been reports that a man matching Jenkins’ description arrived by boat at Point Roberts, U.S. territory about 10 miles away at the tip of a peninsula reachable by land only from Canada. Authorities believe Jenkins walked across the border to British Columbia.

Jenkins met Fiore in Las Vegas casino in March. The pair married soon after, says Fiore’s mother, Lisa Lepore. Lepore claims her former son-in-law attacked her daughter in violent “blowout” last May after becoming jealous of the blonde’s friendships with former boyfriends.

Fiore was last seen alive with Jenkins at a poker game in San Diego on Friday night. Jenkins reported her missing to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department the following evening — he hasn’t been seen since.

Nate Quick Death

2009-08-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

(KRNB PD and Radio Legend Nate Quick passed around 10pm last night and was surrounded by friends and family) I knew the time was near for Nate’s family to make the decision and I am not a person who sugar coats a situation so I didn’t do an update yesterday and got many emails asking why. Now you know. I talked to Nate several times in recent months and he never even hinted that anything was wrong.

Even when it became obvious that something was wrong with the people that he worked with, he continued to do his airshift and his job because it was what he truly loved doing no matter what. Nate was someone who managed to roll with life’s variable punches with ease and he’s been through a lot. Nate talked about two things in almost every conversation we ever had, his late mother and his younger brother.

He truly cherished those two people. Nate was one of those people who believed in chronicling his industry tenure and I realize now how important these pictures are… to show one’s children, great grandchildren etc… and even now to bring a smile to the many industry faces who feel like they have lost a friend. Nate would say to me “Man, I can’t believe you are running those old ass pictures!” (acting like he was modest but at the same time, he would be glad I did)

Nate was one of the few people who often broke the industry rule and he would actually take your call if you were not working (laugh) I am very sad and happy at the same time yet I feel Nate is at peace. It is incredibly evident to me now more than ever that only the good die young. Nate will be greatly missed but I know he is already running around and looking for a new PD gig and a new rap group to promote in the most major market of them all.. Heaven. Rest in

Peace Nate.. Your friend, Kevin Ross August 20, 2009

Caster Semenya Photos: South African Runner Caster Semenya Video

2009-08-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Caster Semenya photos are sought as questions about her gender continue. See pictures here and Caster Semenya video of the race, the interview and more about the South African runner who won the Women’s 800M at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Berlin and now faces controversy which may involve ambiguous genitalia.

In the aftermath of the 18-year-old runner’s victory, the IAAF has asked the South African athletics federation to conduct a gender verification exam on Caster Semenya (photos above).

She won the race on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 with a time of 1:55.45 which is thus far the best time in the world in 2009. Winning second and third place respectively were Kenyan runner Janeth Jepkosgei (1:57.90) and Jennifer Meadows of Great Britain (1:57.93).

Results of the test, CNN reports, will take some time; perhaps weeks. The test involves a physical medical evaluation, along with reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, an internal medicine specialist, and an expert on gender intended to resolve issues of ambiguous genitalia. In the interim, no doubt, speculation will mount as Caster Semenya photos are studied and commented upon.

Her manager, Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane, spoke with CNN in a telephone interview, stating that the South African runner has not been concerned with questions about her gender and is focused on improving her performance and bettering her times, and went on to say:

“Even the ID that she has, the passport, says she is a female…There was no cheating on our part, or even on the part of the athlete. If there are tests being done, we accept that. We can’t stop that,” Mlangeni-Tsholetsane said. “We have nothing to hide.”

Watch several videos below including a Caster Semenya video which reveals the sound of her voice, whose deep sound has also fueled speculation along with her physical appearance which is perceived as masculine. The Caster Semenya interview continues to raise questions.

In an interview ASA (Athletics South Africa) president Leonard Chuene has said that the treatment of the runner has been like that of a “leper.” He said:

“I will continue to defend the girl, I will continue to do anything, even if I am to be kicked out of Berlin, but I am not going to let that girl be humiliated in the manner that she was humiliated because she has not committed a crime whatsoever. Her crime was to be born the way she is born.”

Additionally, Caster Semenya’s mother Dorcus Semenya has spoken out passionately in her defense of her daughter in a lengthy interview which you can see here.

Readers share your thoughts. Now that you have seen the pictures, what do you think of the controversy surrounding the South African runner?

More Caster Semenya photos and, as mentioned, the Caster Semenya video below.